Home care workers get new contract, will not strike

July 24--LAWRENCE -- A tentative agreement has been reached between 241 home care workers and a nonprofit agency based in the city which provides care for people with developmental disabilities.

Since a contract expired on April 30 between Fidelity House Human Services and the workers, represented by Local 509 of the Service Employees International Union, both sides have met 11 times, three with a federal mediator.

But the employer and the union reached an agreement Sunday morning which, if approved in a ratification vote next week, will see Fidelity House workers earn 60 cents more an hour in the coming year, boosting salaries about $1,200 a year.

The 241 workers will return to work on Monday. They provide care for 750 people around the Merrimack Valley suffering from conditions such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome.

Had an agreement not been reached Sunday, workers would have begun a three day strike starting on Monday.

Yvonne Allard, president and CEO of Fidelity House, said Sunday marked a "satisfying conclusion" to the contract talks.

"Everyone on our side believes it was a positive outcome," she said. "Averting a strike is always a positive thing."

In a statement released by SEIU Local 509 Sunday night, the union called the settlement a step forward in a years-long campaign to address the crisis in caregiving created by low wages at Fidelity House.

"What I do for a living isn't just about me, it's also about all the individuals we serve here in the Merrimack Valley," said Nurys Cintron, a worker at Fidelity House and leader of the contract bargaining committee. "I'm relieved that after many months and a long morning of bargaining, all of my colleagues will return to work Monday with a better contract that will hopefully pave the path for all our brothers and sisters in the human services field."

"Today we got a good contract but the work continues," said Alette Domenech, who has worked at Fidelity House for three years. "I look forward to the roll out of these much-needed improvements in our contract."

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