Beaver County, PA: Just days after Friendship Ridge workers extended another olive branch to County Commissioners, urging them to sit down together to work on a financial proposal to save the home, commissioners respond that they will “exercise their option to sell Friendship Ridge.”
The response came in the form of a letter from the county solicitor.
Workers came up with a proposal that would cut $5 million from the budget, a number commissioners had said would allow the home to be financially viable. The number was validated and confirmed by the Friendship Ridge CFO, but Commissioner Nichols then claimed the proposal wasn’t enough. The union is asking for a financial analysis and explanation of why this proposal has been rejected.
“We have been hopeful that we could all sit down together, having meaningful conversations, and find a solution,” said SEIU Healthcare PA Vice President Matt Yarnell, speaking for the union that represents over 500 workers at Friendship Ridge. “It is now clear that they are set on selling. We will continue fighting, and explore all our options to stop the sale.”
Friendship Ridge workers are concerned about selling to a for-profit corporation, citing deteriorating conditions at Cambria and Lackawanna homes once their homes were sold. Preserving the home as a county asset ensures that Friendship Ridge’s top priority will be resident care, and not making profits.
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