PRESS RELEASE: Hale Nani Rehabilitation & Nursing Center workers to move forward with strike

Media Advisory
For Immediate Release
May 16, 2016

Media Contact: Paola Rodelas
Mobile: (808) 333-4782
prodelas@unitehere5.org

Hale Nani Rehabilitation & Nursing Center workers to move forward with strike

WHAT: 3-day Hale Nani Rehabilitation & Nursing Center workers strike

WHERE: Hale Nani Rehabilitation & Nursing Center – 1677 Pensacola St. Honolulu, HI 96822 (Street parking available only)

WHEN:
Picketing at Hale Nani on:

  • Monday, May 16 | 5:30p – 6:30p
  • Tuesday, May 17 | 7:00a – 6:00p
  • Wednesday, May 18 | 7:00a – 6:00p
  • Thursday, May 19 | 7:00a – 3:00p

VISUALS: Hale Nani workers and community supporters wearing red Local 5 shirts sign-waving, marching, and passing out leaflets

2016-05-16 14.00.00Honolulu (May 16, 2016) – Local 5 members who work at Hale Nani Rehabilitation & Nursing Center are moving forward with their plans to go on strike for three days, starting today at 5:30p.

Workers on strike are not discouraging patients or their families from entering the facilities. In fact, they encourage patients and their families to come to the facilities for any services they may need.

Workers will be passing out leaflets near the facility to inform the community that they are striking in response to management’s unfair treatment of workers. The Union has filed four unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board alleging that Hale Nani, owned by Utah-based Avalon Health Care, violted federal labor law by intimidating, surveilling, and terminating Union supporters who are standing up for better patient care.

“We love our residents and have made strong connections with their families. We are trying to make Avalon’s Hale Nani a world-class facility. The company has responded by threatening union supporters and implying that we will lose our jobs if we stand up for our rights. We will stick together to improve Avalon,” says Rhoda Magaoay, who worked as a certified nursing assistant at Hale Nani for three years until she was recently terminated.

Local 5 represents 211 Hale Nani workers—primarily certified nursing assistants and workers in the dietary, maintenance, recreation, and housekeeping departments. Avalon Health Care recently purchased Hale Nani for about $44.6 million. It also owns the Avalon Care Center in Kalihi and the Yukio Okutsu State Veterans Home in Hilo. It is about to open a new senior living community called Kalakaua Gardens on Kalakaua Ave. across from the Hawaii Convention Center.
Local 5 represents approximately 11,000 workers throughout Hawaii who work in the hospitality, health care and food service industries and is an affiliate of UNITE HERE, an international union that represents over 250,000 workers throughout the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.unitehere5.org.

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