SouthernWorldwide.com – A recent analysis of federal data has revealed a notable disparity in quality ratings between unionized and non-unionized nursing homes in California, a state known for its progressive policies.
The report, conducted by the Center for Union Facts (CUF), indicates that nursing homes with unionized staff tend to receive lower average quality ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) compared to their non-union counterparts.
The CMS utilizes a five-star rating system to evaluate nursing homes. This system considers various factors, including the frequency of health inspections, the ratio of staff to patients, the level of care provided, and the overall quality of resident care.
According to the CUF analysis, California nursing homes with unionized employees scored approximately 10% lower on average than those without union representation. This finding remained consistent even after controlling for median household income in the surrounding counties.
Specifically, non-union facilities achieved an average rating of 3.17 stars. In contrast, unionized facilities averaged 3.02 stars. Facilities unionized with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) received an average of 2.96 stars, while those represented by SEIU Local 2015, which serves long-term care workers in California, averaged 2.86 stars.
After adjusting for the income levels of the areas where these facilities are located, the report suggests that unionization was associated with a decrease of approximately 0.3 stars in their ratings.
The CUF report suggests that this ratings gap warrants further investigation into the role of the SEIU in California’s long-term care sector. The report references prior allegations concerning the union’s internal culture and workplace disputes as potential contributing factors to this discrepancy.
However, it is important to note that the report does not definitively establish a causal link between union representation and lower quality ratings. Some studies have suggested that unionization in healthcare settings can lead to improved patient outcomes.
“Overall, it is difficult to say for certain that unionization is the direct cause of these lower ratings, but this is hardly an isolated trend,” the CUF report stated. “A previous, similar report by the Center for Union Facts found that hospitals unionized with the SEIU had a star rating that was almost a full star lower (out of five stars) compared to non-union hospitals.”
To identify unionized facilities, CUF reviewed union materials, online publications, and records from National Labor Relations Board union elections dating back to approximately 2006. Facilities for which no evidence of unionization was found were classified as non-union for the purpose of the analysis.
The report also highlighted past instances of alleged “abuse of their members” by California labor unions. One such case involved Chaquan May, a former long-term care worker and plaintiff in a lawsuit against SEIU Local 2015, backed by the Freedom Foundation.
May alleged in a sworn statement that union representatives pressured her and other workers in 2023 to sign membership forms, reportedly by keeping them in a room until everyone complied. “We’re waiting for everyone to sign … no one is leaving until everyone signs,” May quoted a union representative as saying at the time.
CUF also raised concerns that the possibility of union-led strikes could negatively affect the care provided to nursing home residents.
This report emerges at a time when California’s long-term care system is facing federal scrutiny. The CMS has deferred over $1 billion in Medicaid funding related to the state’s in-home support services program. While California officials have condemned this action as unlawful and detrimental to vulnerable residents, federal authorities maintain it is necessary to combat fraud.
The SEIU has historically been a significant supporter of the Democratic Party. For example, during the 2024 presidential election cycle, the union reportedly spent tens of millions of dollars on independent expenditures and contributions to aid Democratic candidates, in addition to an estimated $200 million allocated for internal voter mobilization efforts supporting liberal candidates.
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A prior report by the Center for Union Facts also found that SEIU-unionized hospitals in California received lower ratings from the CMS.
