More than one-thousand nursing home workers from several facilities in the Detroit area suspended a strike planned for today [MONDAY].
That's after Governor Gretchen Whitmer made a last-minute plea for both sides to engage in "good faith" negotiations over the next 30 days.
Workers claim they are making “poverty wages” while putting themselves in danger during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They say they don't have enough protective equipment or sufficient staffing levels.
Trece Andrews is a laundry worker at Regency at St. Clair Shores.
"It's because we were so strong and ready to go on strike, that I really, really truly believe it frightened them," said Andrews. "So I'm hopeful that they will come to some type of agreement that we all would be happy with."
On Friday, Ciena Healthcare Management, which operates several residential facilities, got a restraining order blocking employees from striking at work.
In a letter to employees, Ciena's CEO says a strike would be “reckless,” given the risks posed by COVID-19.