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by Jobs With Justice
On Thursday, April 30, a press conference was held at 3060 SE Stark St. Workers at Laurelhurst Village nursing home on SE 33rd at Stark have been organizing a union at that facility since late February to improve living and working conditions.
These workers had majority support for their union by late March, when Laurelhurst Village management took drastic measures to end their campaign.
Workers have been written up, suspended, and one employee, Elizabeth Lehr, was fired for union activity. Lehr was fired three days after demonstrating public support for the union. She participated in a delegation to the employer to show support for a fellow co-worker who was "disciplined" for union activity.
Lehr presented her case at the news conference on April 30: The workers at Laurelhurst Village deserve a fair process in their fight to build a union and negotiate wages, benefits, and working conditions.
Management's decision to illegally fire Lehr has had a chilling affect on these efforts. Every co-worker who publicly supported Lehr on a union flier last week has been interrogated by the CEO in one-on-one meetings.
State Sen. Rosenbaum and Rep. Bailey have joined other concerned citizens in making calls to Laurelhurst Village CEO Hannah Austin.
Supporting unions
The press conference was setup to ask Laurelhurst Village to respect workers' rights, be good stewards of taxpayer money, reinstate Lehr, stop intimidating co-workers who have supported her, and follow the letter of the law.
Lehr’s case is another reminder of the critical necessity of passing legislation like the Employee Free Choice Act. We need to stand with nursing home workers, homecare workers, and other members of the community to help shine a spotlight on Laurelhurst Village’s lack of regard for workers rights.
Lehr told Jobs with Justice last month that "Until last Thursday I had been an employee of Laurelhurst Village for almost 2 years. On March 22, I became active in organizing a union at our nursing home. On the following Monday, I went with co-workers to support our co-worker and friend who we felt was being discriminated against and treated unfairly.
“We also requested the employer's record of workplace injuries. This is how my employer found out I had taken a lead role in organizing the union."
When Lehr returned to work, she was falsely accused of stealing confidential information, written up for insubordination, and fired. There is no good reason for her having been fired. She feels "the employees of Laurelhurst Village who take care of and love the residents should be taken care of also."
Laurelhurst workers have concerns about health care and living wages. Their opinions should be heard.
If we lobby for Employee Free Choice, we can put some teeth in the law and make certain that working families are not punished or fired simply for advocating for themselves and the residents they serve.
–Jobs With Justice
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