DETROIT (WXYZ) — Workers at five Ciena Healthcare nursing home facilities are holding a one-day strike today (Tuesday, May 20), seeking better pay and benefits from their employer.
This comes after Ciena, represented by SEIU Health Care Michigan, has been negotiating a new contract, with a representative for the workers saying they hope "to reach an agreement that respects frontline caregivers and Ciena’s continued bad faith bargaining."
VIDEO OF WORKERS GOING ON STRIKE, FROM OUR MORNING SHOWS AND FROM CHOPPER 7
Workers are on strike at the facilities below, as of 6 a.m.:
- Boulevard Temple Care Center (Detroit)
- Notting Hill of West Bloomfield
- Qualicare Nursing Home (Detroit)
- The Regency at Chene (Detroit)
- Regency at St. Clair Shores
We're told a series of supporters will be joining the picket line as the day continues, including:
- Boulevard Temple Care Center
- Rep. Tonya Meyers Phillips – 7:00 AM
- City Council President Mary Sheffield – 3:00 PM
- Notting Hill of West Bloomfield
- Rep. Noah Arbit – 7:00 AM
- Qualicare Nursing Home
- Rep. Donavan McKinney – 7:30 AM
- City Council President Mary Sheffield – 3:30 PM
- The Regency at Chene
- Senator Stephanie Chang – 7:00 AM
- City Council President Mary Sheffield – 4:00 PM
- Regency at St. Clair Shores
- Macomb County Commissioner Sarah Lucido – time TBD
The workers are seeking an increased wage scale for Competency Evaluated Nurse Assistants (CENAs) and increased starting rates for Ciena workers in housekeeping, dietary, activities, cooking and maintenance. Other demands include shift differentials, annual raises for all workers, paid sick time, holidays and health insurance. The workers have been working without a contract for months, with some working without a contract since January of 2024.
“We dedicate our time to caring for our residents, but Ciena makes us jump through hoops to care for ourselves," said CENA Tikesha Williams in a statement. "We don’t have adequate supplies and we are constantly short staffed, which takes a huge toll on us. Being able to provide for my family – for my granddaughter – matters so much. We deserve to be treated with respect no matter what our job title is.”
We also reached out to Ciena Healthcare for a statement. Here is that full statement, from CEO David Parker:
"Ciena Healthcare has received notice of impending 24 hour strikes to be held on May 20, 2025, by members of SEIU Healthcare of Michigan, at five nursing facilities managed by Ciena Healthcare and located in Southeast Michigan. Each of these collective bargaining agreements are separate and distinct agreements not linked to each other.
First and foremost, our impacted facilities are making necessary preparations for and will provide care to all residents during any of these planned strikes by SEIU Healthcare of Michigan. A planned strike at this time by SEIU Healthcare of Michigan is unnecessary given that (i) none of the collective bargaining agreements are at an impasse, (ii) two facilities are in the early stages of bargaining, (iii) SEIU Healthcare of Michigan has not been in a hurry to reach new agreements until now (failing to provide dates to bargain and canceling scheduled sessions) and (iv) at each bargaining table, the employer has offered numerous contract enhancements including wage increases for each year of the contract and for years of seniority. Simply stated, the planned strike is diverting attention away from bargaining to resolve the few remaining open issues in each agreement and we look forward to working with the Union to obtain favorable contracts for our employees.
Ciena Healthcare leadership appreciates the work done by all employees who are members of the collective bargaining units represented by SEIU Healthcare of Michigan and provide quality care to our residents on a daily basis."
SEIU Ciena workers sent us a statement in response to that statement, saying in part, "We are asking Ciena to come to the table with the intent to respect these workers and solve the drastic high turnover rate. Rather than offering solutions, Ciena has resorted to bullying and threatening workers, resulting in multiple Unfair Labor Practice complaints. They are violating federal labor law to silence these workers, who have waited too long for too little."
