It was announced last week that employees from seven nursing homes are planning a one-day strike over wages. As a result, about 600 employees will walk off the job on March 5. Senator Karin Housley (R-Stillwater) released the following statement in response:

“Our nursing homes have been facing a crisis that shows no signs of going away anytime soon, and they are desperate for help,” said Housley. “These employees take care of our most vulnerable – they are entrusted to look after our loved ones every day, and their work conditions have been incredibly challenging. They have been asking for help to address staffing and funding, and with last year’s historic surplus, we had a golden opportunity to address those concerns. Instead, Democrats kept kicking the can down the road. It was Senate Republicans who fought for that critical $300 million nursing home deal, but we knew that was only a temporary fix. It’s long past time to fix this problem – these workers take care of our loved ones, and they deserve a real solution that addresses their valid concerns.”

Last session, Senate Republicans negotiated $300 million to nursing homes across the state. This one-time funding equated to about a $1/hour raise, therefore the raises aren’t sustainable without additional state dollars.

Low pay for nursing home workers has led to severe staffing shortages for many nursing homes. The lack of staff has left beds and rooms open and unused. These issues have compounded wait times for families whose loved ones need care that is best provided in a nursing home setting.