CALAIS, Maine — Representatives of the labor union that represents nursing care employees at the Atlantic Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Calais will meet Thursday in Bangor with management of the facility to discuss a proposal to close the 52-bed nursing home.
Teamsters Local 340 represents about 50 licensed practical nurses and certified nursing assistants who staff the facility, meeting the needs of 42 residents. Those union members are among 92 workers who would lose their jobs if the 39-year-old nursing home is closed.
Traci Place, the Teamsters business agent who works with the Calais bargaining unit, said the union was “not aware” until recently of plans to close the facility. She declined further comment until after the union’s meeting with officials from Portland-based First Atlantic Healthcare, which owns and operates the Calais facility.
First Atlantic Healthcare said last week that closure is not “imminent,” but the facility stopped accepting applications from prospective residents weeks ago. The prospect of closure has left current residents and their families eager for specifics, and some residents have already made alternative living arrangements given the cloud of uncertainty that looms over the facility.
Stacy Wescott of Calais was busy Wednesday moving her mother from the Calais facility, where she has lived for the past three years, to a nursing home in Machias, a distance of 44 miles. She is hopeful the facility will be kept open so her mother can return.
“We were blindsided by this, which we learned about from a document found on the Internet,” Wescott said. “I was upset and disappointed, and my mother was very upset. She cried all day. It’s been hard. Everyone is trying to be hopeful that something can be done and that she and others who have moved will be able to come back. Moving her now is a safety net, and I was able to get the last available bed in the facility in Machias where we’re moving her.”
Among the documents accessible on the Internet is a letter sent to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services last spring by First Atlantic Healthcare. That letter outlines the company’s plans to close the Calais facility and to enlarge the Collier’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center that it owns in Ellsworth.
In that letter, CEO Kenneth Bowden stated, “There is capacity within the Calais region to accommodate these patients as our [nursing facility] operations in Calais phase out.” Bowden also said that residents now living in the Calais facility, if they desired, could be relocated to the Ellsworth facility 92 miles away.
Bowden’s letter said expansion of the Ellsworth facility would require 16 months of construction. In November state officials recommended approval of Atlantic Healthcare’s certificate of need proposal, showing a construction cost estimate for the Ellsworth project of $9.2 million.
The replacement facility in Ellsworth, the company said, will include 16 nursing facility beds, 30 residential care-level IV beds and 10 assisted living apartments.
Construction on the project in Ellsworth has not yet started.
Well, thats certainly one thing unions are good at, and about the only thing. Closing busineses.
Do your research…it was a planned closure and it had nothing to do with the union.
Maybe so, but I stand by what I wrote. Unions, once needed, are the biggest job killers in this country and among the most corrupt entities there ever was. Their main goal in life is to perpetuate their own existence, which is ever increasingly, not needed and they know it. Having seen what they do first hand in a couple of the worst strikes here in Maine in the last 100 years, I can say without a doubt that they are corrupt and evil to the core.
You dare comment that the unions are corrupt. Our govenment leads that race. What a bunch of losers. You republicans will find this out at the polls.
or the guvnuh
Thanks Teamsters, you shut down DHL delivery in Brewer now a needed nursing home. I bet it will reopen in no time until you try to unionize it again. Although all the DHL drivers lost their jobs forever.
I will say it again do your research…you will see it had nothing to do with UNION.
What are you talking about? This had NOTHING to do with union and to be honest I dont think the union could do anything about this closure…it has to do with the building needing work and the owners wanting to move their business. There is going to be lots of jobs lost from this closure and its not do to Teamsters.
They can’t do that. A company tried to move an airline from Boston to Porthmonth NH get rid of the union the union took the airline to court . The judge told the airline to go back to Boston
Source please.
It was in the news it was Panam airlines own by Gilford transpertation same one that own the railroad in Maine
ridiculous.
It was called union busting which they could not do by law
You think that the Teamsters shut down the entire DHL operation in the United States. Although I am no fan of that particular union DHL’s problems were alot bigger than the ones that they faced in one small town in Maine
A union involved? Well that explains a lot.
Can someone tell me what all the union dues are for? Bet those in the union get squat.
Unions can’t run the business.
But they would like to think they can.
I think a union has to know about something before it can react. This was all played very close to the chest, the union and the workers weren’t notified until it came out in the news and apparently “a letter sent to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services last spring by First Atlantic Healthcare. That letter outlines the company’s plans to close the Calais facility and to enlarge the Collier’s Nursing and Rehabilitation Center that it owns in Ellsworth.” The workers at the home were kept in the dark.
In my comment I am not blaming the union for the closure of the home. My comment is in response to this article what is the union going to do for the employees that are effected by this. I know right now that this facility has worse benefits (health insurance, holiday compensation, etc) than other homes owned by the same company. These are all negotiated by the union. I would bet that the union will follow suit and members that have been paying their dues will still get the shaft.
The union was voted into this facility to stop the then administrators practice of firing people in order to make room for his latest girl friend for starters.
Why doesn’t the Union purchase the facility if they think it’s cost effective and profitable to stay open?
The current owners haven’t sunk a dime into this building since they bought it from Barnard. Other than a few cosmetic things like paint and wallpaper.
This has very little to do with unions and everything to with an administration that does not care a whit about their constituents. These people worked hard and contributed to the well-being of Maine for decades and decades. They fought in wars, they paid their taxes, they gave to the needy during a time in their lives when they probably did not have much, and they served the elderly during their time as providers. All they hoped for was a fair break, to get the same that they gave, to have just a minimum of security. Now they must literally move 100 miles down the road to save a few bucks so LePage looks good to the GOP. Funny but the Aroostook County corrections facility (yes I know, different county) couldn’t be closed because people complained about inmate family’s having to drive too far for visitation. What a fun joke that is. Old people don’t complain so lets take advantage and move them. While we’re at it, lets see if we can bump them off Medicaid too!
my thoughts EXACTLY!!! and very well put-I worked i nursing homes all over the state,and everywhere I went,it was the same thing from the front lines-ADMINISTRATION DOESN’T CARE ABOUT THE RESIDENTS OR STAFF,JUST HOW MUCH MONEY THEY ARE MAKING!!I went into nursing because of the patients,not the owners…
This is a private business.
You are correct, it is a private business. Keep that in mind when state services are privetised. As Watchdog has posted above. the state was forced to keep the Houlton Jail open to accomodate families who wanted to at least be near their relatives in the jail. If that were a private run prison or jail you wouldn’t have any recourse.
gee
LePage has nothing to do with this.
LePage has nothing to do with this. Really, His own department has know about this from a letter of intent since March of 2011. Wow, they didn’t even tell anyone, proable because First Atlantic told them not to. Some how LePage is responsible. He is the Boss of his departments. That means he either ignored or was told to BUTT out about the letter of intent. The letter of intent is designed so the parties impacted can make plans and assist in any way possible about the impact of the patients and employees. I am aware they already stated they broke no laws. This follows suit with LePages plan of the care of the elderly, their familys and the employees. He and his staff has no morals and something like this proves where there priorites are.
Remember this everyone at the Polls. Vote all these money mongers out no matter how dedicated they say they are. They all speak out of both sides of their face.
LePage and his buddies want to do away with the Department of Human Services and this proves he and his will do anything to make a move towards his agenda.
Vote these bums out.
I have to say that it had nothing to do with the union…so people do your research!
People are to lazy to do any reasearch
It has to do with the owners of this building…there excuse being the building needed repairing “lots”. I’m sorry but with all the money they are spending in southern part of maine they could of just had a new nursing home built…but its all about the buck $…when it should be about the residents and their families. Get with the program ppl!
It’s their business and can do whatever they want.
So you don’t think that the owners should of let the families know about their plans? What if it was one of your own wouldnt you be a little upset? Just saying….
There not closing tomorrow.
Well now that it has all been made public family members will continue to move their loved ones out and so eventually there wont be anyone left to take care of. It will be sooner than later Im sure. Just doesn’t give much time for the workers to find another job else were and most of them will stay right up until the end because of their dedication and compassion.
Hopefully you won’t have to face the same grief for one of your loved ones. That is if you even care.
exactly!
OK PEOPLE….What if it was your family member in the nursing home and you are from this area? I am absolutely disgusted with the owners not letting family members know of this plan and they kept it quiet for almost a year until someone decided to do alittle research online and find documents about this plan. They could of let everyone know so that the community could make plans for their own nursing home facility so these residents didnt have to go through moving and worry…I just don’t understand some people these days….what has this world come to!
This goes out to jimbobhol it may be their business to do as they like with their properties but let others know especially the families.
The exit plan should only be is if they find a buyer for the current facility so not to disrupt the patients and family being affected. The company which owns this facility has a responsibility to the Calais community as well as the families in which it serves. It is not always about the money.
It says right in the article that the CEO States “that there is capacity within the Calais area to accommodate the patients “. Some employees may have to move and some may lose their jobs. This business is not leaving Maine, just moving and expanding in another area of the State.
There is no capacity in Calais. This is our only nursing home facility. Eastport, Lubec, and Machias are now full, and these patients will have to be transfered out of Washington County.
Yes, and quite some distance from their home…which makes it more difficult for their families to visit them. Such a sad situation.
I believe 92 people will lose their jobs and “capacity within the Calais area” involves places from Eastport to Elsworth.
That’s right within the Calais area not in Calais and some have to travel to Machias which is an hour away. Area can mean many miles as interpreted by a difference of opinion with people.
Depends on who the family members are that acutally do the visiting. I believe that there is a resident in the Calais facility that has her husband visiting every day, serveral times a day, who is in poor health himself. He probably won’t be able to travel to Eastport, Machias, Lubec and definetly not Ellsworth.
Have you ever had a relative or friend in a nursing home? Have you ever worked in one? If not, you probably have no idea of what happens in any nursing home.
1- virtually all nursing homes are understaffed, with CNA’s doing the brunt of the work. With the increased requirements to gain entry as a resident in a nursing home, that means that virtually all the residents are considered total care.
2- If you have a family member in a nursing home and you really do care about their well being, you need to visit them often and at irregular times. Even if they don’t recognize you anymore, you need to visit them often. Someone from your family should visit at least once a day. The reason being is that the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Human nature.
“Teamsters business agent who works with the Calais bargaining unit, said the union was “not aware” until recently of plans to close the facility..” The workers weren’t notified until it came out in the news, I don’t believe. I still think it’s unfair that they are willing to put more money into a building 100 mi. away rather than rebuild here. I really hope residents find places closer to home.
I know where ive worked in the past the union finds out a week before the company gives its notice that they will either lay off people or close
I think the patients being moved prematurely by their family members will close this facility faster than any administrator or union. Congratulations alarmists. You just put 90 plus people out of a job.
Can you imagine if nobody found out about these closure plans until the very end. I can understand the reason for alarm. I would never work for this company-they cannot be trusted.
It is important to do the research and the newspapers reported no immediate closing. That it could be 16 months away. To call this “last minute” is hardly accurate.
Say what ever you want we all have opinions here. My only concern is of the residents and their families. Do you know this company? Are you from this area? It is very important to do the research….and that is what the newspaper said you cant believe everything you read in a newspaper or atleast not the full story. Maybe you should ask the family members what they think on this matter.
I have talked to family members and yes I do live in this area and I read versions of the story in three different newspapers. I agree that you can’t believe everything in the newspaper and I also believe that you can’t believe everything posted on sites like this by readers. It circulates even more bad information.
I am very close to alot of the family members and as well have spoken to them. I am very close friends with alot of the workers there. Anyway’s the problem we have has to do with the building and not having enough time to plan for our own nursing home…like maybe non-profit or something. I just think that the owners atleast owes it to the community and the residents family to give enough time because in all reality Calais needs a nursing home…we have way too many assisted livings in Calais.
No, the “alarmists” didn’t cost these people their jobs. It’s the money hungry owners who did. The families of the ones who live in the home have to take care of the people who live there as soon as they can. They can’t wait until the last minute & then not be able to find anywhere to take them. They are doing what they have to do to take care of their relatives before there is no where for them to go.
I agree that the owners are just after the bucks. That’s what privately owned nursing homes and assisted care facilities are all about. However, I feel that moving these folks suddenly and prematurely traumatizes them unnecessarily. At the rate that these people are being moved, this will cause the facility to close much sooner than was the original “plan”. Very reactionary. Not clear thinking.
The teamsters distroying another business!!!
If you can’t make a profit because of the Unionizied Staff, then you close it.. Simple as that… I bet the union Leaders sipping drinks in their penthouse apts in New York could care less about the patients…
The Unions are bleeding themselves dry.. Soon with the Help Of the Obama Admin there will be no unions..hahaha!!!
GM bleed themselves and soon will do it again, without the help of a dem house and senate.
Sipping what?
caught it, thanks
Good Ole Union….. UGH…
I would strongly suspect that if the mafia controlled teamsters were not involved in an area far from ‘teamstering’ the facility would be going strong, and providing good jhobs to deserving people.
Teamsters seem to denigrate all they posess to tgheir low life levels.
union yes
To bad a local cant buy or build something to fix the problem