Service Union Protests Senior Care Company

By: Mellissa Seecharan

A small group of union-backed protesters railed against labor and living conditions at one of the nation’s largest senior care providers’ facilities Wednesday on the Upper West Side. The company, in turn, accused protest organizers of a publicity stunt to collect more union dues.

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Standing outside Atria Senior Living on West 86th Street, between West End Avenue and Riverside Drive, eight protestors wore SEIU stickers and called for unionizing service workers at all 23 New York Atria facilities.

Rabbi Michael Feinberg, a community activist, held up an anti-union flier that Atria had distributed to their workers.

“This filer says nothing about the fact that it’s their democratic right to improve their workplace situation, to improve care for residents,” Feinberg said.

Protest organizer Daniel May added that in recent years Atria has increased rent, made medication mistakes, locked-in patients and otherwise neglected its senior population. He said Atria should “begin to sit down with workers and talk about how they can address providing adequate staffing, adequate training to make sure the residents get what they need.”

Atria provides residential service to more than 13,000 senior in 27 states, according to their web site.

A company official said Atria has battled activists all year.

“The SEIU’s press release and protest are part of an ongoing corporate attack campaign to tarnish Atria’s reputation and get more members and dues money,” said Amy Risley, the spokeswoman. “The SEIU continues to lose credibility by attacking our company with distorted claims and half-truths.”

One of the most poignant stories at the protest came from Susan MacArevey, who had traveled from Wisconsin to talk about her mother’s death at an Atria care facility in Albany.

Once her mother hit her head after suffering a heat attack and stumbled around, a family member discovered the body the next day, MacArevey said.

No one had checked on her mother that night, she said. Only one worker had been assigned to look after approximately 134 residents all night, she said.

Atria confirmed that MacArevey’s mother was a long-time resident at Atria Shaker in Albany but refused comment on her case.

Since May 2007, SEIU has continuously campaigned against Atria care facilities nationwide, including a protest at one Davis, Cali. on Jan. 28 over rising rent costs for seniors.

On March 4, SEIU will protest outside of Rockefeller Center against Lazard, Ltd., the investment firm that is affiliated with Atria’s private owners.

Linnea Covington and Daniel Macht contributed reporting

Tags: Assisted Living, Atria, protest, SEIU, Senior Care, Union