Nursing Homes

I-1098: Revenue We Can Count On

Thursday, June 24

Initiative 1098 will improve funding for Washington's nursing homes once it qualifies for the ballot in June and passes in November.

I-1098 would set aside $1 billion in new revenue for healthcare and education. Nursing home funding comes from Washington's healthcare budget.

“Initiative 1098 is a big step forward for our state,” said Alemtshay Tesfay, a CNA at Ballard Care and Rehabilitation (Sun) and a member of our union’s Executive Board. “It won’t solve all the state’s budget problems, but it gives a boost to healthcare and education.”

I-1098 would raise revenue by taxing Washington's wealthy.Only individuals making more than $200,000 and couples/partners making more than $400,000 per year would pay tax on income over those limits.
The initiative cuts the state's property tax by 20 percent and ends B&O tax for most small businesses.

Please sign a I-1098 petition now as signature gather will finish by the end of June.

Nursing Home Cuts Minimized

Wednesday, May 12

The legislature’s final Washington State budget cut nursing home funding by 2.5 percent or approximately $25 million, but two late moves by our union helped minimize these cuts.

“We need better funding for our seniors, and the way we’re doing things now doesn’t work,” said Lorena Anica, a CNA at Sun Mercer Island. “We need reliable funding. We deserve better, and so do our residents.”

Political work by nursing workers made a final difference. On the special session’s last day, our union successfully persuaded the legislature to pass budget amendments that minimizes cuts to Medicaid-dependent nursing homes. Most of our union nursing homes rely heavily on Medicaid funding.

Two week later, at our union’s request, Governor Chris Gregoire vetoed a big part of the legislative funding cut to nursing homes. The amount restored by her veto varies by facility. As an example, the veto restored $270,000 in funding to one facility – Ballard Care and Rehabilitation (Sun).