The following was released by SEIU Healthcare Illinois President Greg Kelley regarding Gov. Pritzker’s comments on the Infinity Nursing Home Strike:

CHICAGO–In his press conference today, Gov. JB Pritzker opened with the following:

“To start, I want to affirm that my administration is monitoring the situation at the 11 Illinois long-term care facilities owned by Infinity Health Care to ensure that services for our most vulnerable residents continue uninterrupted.

“There are hundreds of SEIU nursing home workers on strike who are asking for the same type of reasonable working conditions that a large number of long-term care facilities around Illinois have already agreed to in their own contracts.

“And given the significant federal and state financial support for nursing homes during this pandemic, it’s important that workers see that funding reflected in their workplace, in their safety and their pay.

“It’s very important to me that the owner and the union are able to sit down to negotiate quickly and in good faith so they can get back to the work and the work that matters the most, which is getting our residents safely through this pandemic.”

In response, President Kelley applauded the governor’s statement:

“We applaud the governor’s statement. Our members are anxious to get back into the nursing homes to deliver the professional care that residents deserve and have become accustomed to. It’s past time for a fair agreement that starts to lift essential workers out of poverty and gives them all the protections they need and deserve.”

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