Caregivers in Colchester, Manchester, Andover and Vernon continued marching on the picket line early Saturday morning as the group demands better pension security. These employees work with adults living with disabilities.
“I love my individuals,” said Caring Community day service specialist Adam Barnett Ramus. “I love being able to work where I work and I just would love to be able to retire with dignity for myself and have others retire with dignity and provide for my individuals.”
Employees of Network Inc., Caring Community, and Alternative Services Inc. say they want the company to sign an agreement that increases its contribution by 0.2% to employees’ pensions.
“There are plenty of other group home companies that are able to provide this fully vested, fully funded pension plan,” said Barnett Ramus.
New England Health Care Employees Union, SEIU 1199NE representatives say that without this increase, the pension will default. Representatives also said workers could face pension reductions of several hundred dollars per month.
“This is us trying to gith for what we can expect to receive when we retire from this job,” said Nick Greer who also works as a day services specialist.
Employees say while they’re not being paid, the strike is not impacting other benefits such as health care. Workers say they’re willing to strike until a deal is struck.
“At midnight tonight is when this deal was supposed to be reached,” said Greer on Saturday morning. “And we want to see an agreement. We want to see that signature, so that we can get back to our regular schedule.”