1199SEIU, which represents 65,000 nursing home workers in New York, announced on Monday it will be launching a multi-million dollar ad campaign to raise awareness on needed reforms in nursing homes.

Now union officials outline a legislative agenda that includes pay raises of workers and a requirement that facilities dedicate a majority of its revenue back to direct care. 

After the attorney general’s report that highlighted staffing shortages and unsafe working conditions at certain facilities, calls for investigations and legislation have increased.

The union cites New Jersey and Massachusetts as two examples of states that require long-term care facilities to invest a majority of its revenue to direct care. This includes resident care, staffing wages and benefits. 

1199SEIU is also looking to raise the minimum wage for nurse aides to $18 an hour to “cut down on turnover and recruit more staff, particularly in upstate New York.”

Although lawmakers are working on advancing several pieces of nursing home reform legislation, the union has yet to back a specific bill. A link to new campaign ad video can be found here.