Caregivers go on strike Tuesday over wages, benefits at Sunrise Inc. programs for the disabled [Hartford Courant]

Union health care workers went on strike Tuesday at 6 a.m. after failing to reach an agreement over wages, health insurance and pensions with Sunrise Inc., which operates group home and day care programs for the intellectually disabled across the state.

Sunrise operates 28 group home and day care programs staffed by 149 mostly female and heavily minority workers affiliated with District 1199 New England, an SEIU affiliate.

The strike seemed likely Monday night in spite of a decision by the state to reserve $184 million to reward chronically underpaid group home workers who risked their health by working through the pandemic.

Picket lines formed Tuesday at four Sunrise locations: 8o Whitney St., Hartford; 474 Route 87, Columbia; 729 Montauk Ave., New London; and 116 Hawkins St., Danielson section of Killingly.

The funding package was intended to raise pay and increase benefits across Connecticut in an industry that representatives have accused the state of underfunding for years. The agreement, reached in June and brokered by two top aides to Gov. Ned Lamont, was supposed to address that and has been largely successful in averting strikes.

In spite of the state aid, union officials said talks with Sunrise collapsed.

Across the industry in Connecticut, nearly 1,000 union workers have signed new contracts with their group home and day program agencies, with up to 20% increases in wages for workers with the lowest salaries, 90% reduction in health insurance premiums and additional contributions for retirement.

The agreements resolved two strike threats scheduled for last week and a third that was also set for 6 a.m. Tuesday at ASI. The impending strike by 100 unionized ASI employees was rescinded Monday afternoon, leaving Sunrise to face striking workers alone.

Union spokesman Pedro Zayas said Monday night that he was not aware of any last minute talks that might avert a strike. He accused Sunrise of refusing to bend on key points such as what he called its unrealistic health insurance plan. He said the Sunrise family plan comes with monthly premiums more than twice the salary of the mostly single-mother workforce.

“Most of these workers are making less than $17 an hour,” Rob Baril, president of District 1199NE, said. “They have to pay $6,000 in monthly premiums for family health insurance coverage at Sunrise, and no retirement pension to look forward to in their elder years. Even after workers were able to leverage more than $184 million in additional state funding from Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration, Sunrise continues to deny a fair contract for its own workers while the CEO rakes in $325,000 per year.”

Union member and Sunrise direct care provider Jennifer Brown said she and her fellow employees haven’t had a raise in 15 years.

“I’m tired. I’m drained. I’ve been at Sunrise for 24 years. It’s time that they do the right thing,” she said. “No one at our agency takes insurance because it is not affordable. They have money for the pension. We deserve to have everything that the governor said we deserve. He told us we could have a pension. He told us we could have affordable health insurance.”

Sunrise cares for 160 clients at locations in Brooklyn, Columbia, Danielson, East Hartford, Glastonbury, Hartford, Hebron, Lebanon, Manchester, Mansfield, New London, New Milford, Old Lyme, Pomfret, Vernon, Waterford and Enfield.

The union said workers will be walking picket lines Tuesday at 80 Whitney St, Hartford; 474 Rt 87, Columbia; 729 Montauk Ave, New London; and 116 Hawkins St, Danielson.

Courant Staff Writer Kenneth R. Gosselin contributed to this story.

This story was updated at 8:18 a.m. on Tuesday to include that the union had gone on strike.

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