FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Thursday, Feb. 7, 2008
CONTACT:
Jennifer Kelly, 213-401-3321,
Jennifer.Kelly@seiu.org
Activists Protest Expansion of Controversial East Northport Assisted Living Facility
Zoning Board Hears Concerns Over Resident Care, Parking, and Working Conditions at Lazard-affiliated Atria Senior Living
Huntington, NY--Criticism abounded at the Zoning Board of Appeals meeting today over an application for expansion of a local assisted living facility. The owners of Atria East Northport are seeking a special-use permit/parking variance and front-yard variance to expand the existing senior living facility at 10 Cheshire Place in East Northport, NY.
A representative from SEIU Healthcare and the Campaign to Improve Assisted Living flagged several concerns over the facility's resident care record, working conditions, possible problems with parking and traffic from the expansion, and more.
"Residents and workers at Lazard's Atria struggle to make ends meet while Lazard, Ltd. CEO Bruce Wasserstein took home over $40 million last year. This reckless expansion fits the Atria pattern -- push folks out of the way to grab a bigger piece of the pie," said Justin Foley, a Campaign representative.
Atria's expansion application may also be premature given a new state law. New York's Assisted Living Reform Act (ALRA, 2004) requires every assisted living facility in the state to re-apply for its license. Given Atria East Northport's track record -- including multiple citations for serious care problems such as medication errors, building safety problems and failing to call 9-1-1 for a resident with dementia who fell -- that approval is not a sure bet.
Lazard's Atria operates 25 facilities in New York and is one of the country's largest senior living providers with more than 130 facilities nationwide. A private equity buyout fund affiliated with Lazard, Ltd. owns Atria Senior Living. Lazard is a Wall Street firm which manages more than $140 billion. The problems at Atria East Northport are systemic to Atria facilities elsewhere.
Atria residents and their family members have been speaking out nationally about problems with care, safety, staffing, and skyrocketing rent increases. Recently, residents at an Atria facility in Davis, Calif. held a series of public actions to protest increases of up to 8% in resident fees.
Most Atria workers make poverty wages and struggle to meet residents' needs while they are overworked and understaffed. For nearly a year, workers at Lazard's Atria facilities nationwide have been struggling to form a union for a real voice in pay, working conditions, resident care and staffing. Unfortunately, Atria and Lazard have lashed out by threatening and intimidating workers.
The National Labor Relations Board has already issued complaints against Atria for several violations of labor law, and Atria is under investigation for discrimination against workers based on their national origin.