A group of newly-unemployed caregivers, some with more than 20 years’ experience, will deliver an unfair labor practice charge to Courtyard Gardens, a Palm Beach healthcare company, at 9:00 AM on Wednesday, June 10 at 17781 Thelma Avenue in Jupiter.  The unfair labor practice charge implicates the new nursing home owner in deliberately sending nearly 80 experienced caregivers to the unemployment line because of their affiliation with union activities.

Despite an outpouring of support from members of Congress, state legislators, concerned family members, clergy and community members, Courtyard Gardens, refused to rehire nearly 80 employees when they purchased Jupiter Care Center at the end of May.

Following the march into Courtyard Gardens, the unemployed caregivers will go to the federally-funded job search agency, Workforce Alliance, and demand the agency find work for them.  In April, caregivers learned the new owners were preparing to replace most of the current staff with new hires through a Workforce Alliance-sponsored job fair newspaper advertisement for their facility.  

Representatives of the former operator, Jupiter Care Center, made numerous appeals to Courtyard Gardens to hire their current employees.  Each of those requests was denied.

WHO:     Twenty unemployed nursing home caregivers formerly employed by Jupiter Care Center

WHAT:     March to deliver unfair labor practice charge to Courtyard Gardens

WHERE:     17781 Thelma Avenue, Jupiter

WHEN:     9:00 AM, Wednesday, June 10, 2009