Twin Cities nursing home workers meet to discuss safety, staffing crises
BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. — Minnesotans who care for some of our most vulnerable say they need more help to do their jobs safely.
The Nursing Home Workforce Standards Board met Wednesday in Brooklyn Park for a first-of-its-kind meeting to discuss how to address a staffing crisis in the industry.
RELATED: Minnesota nursing homes receive first direct payments from emergency funds passed by legislature
The workers want higher pay and better conditions to attract more people to their field. Their union, SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa, has authorized a strike if changes don't happen.
Nursing home workers aren't the only ones. Union membership is at an all-time low, though strike activity is alive and kicking.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor Department, 2023 saw 33 major strikes involving more than 450,000 workers. That's the most in more than two decades.
Some of those strikes included Hollywood screenwriters, actors and workers at all three Detroit automakers. They reached a boiling point after years of stagnant wages while executive compensation soared.
MORE NEWS: New contract is major win for Minnesota PCAs and people with disabilities
For Minnesota, March 2 is the deadline for nearly 15,000 workers who have authorized strikes.
They'll be at the Minnesota Capitol Thursday afternoon to highlight the issues the groups of workers are demanding.