***PRESS RELEASE***

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sunday, August 31, 2025

CONTACT: Daniel Hopkins, (989) 387-1226, daniel.hopkins@seiuhealthcaremi.org

DETROIT, MI —  More than 100 caregivers and support staff at Optalis Health & Rehabilitation Center of Bloomfield Hills represented by SEIU Healthcare Michigan have issued a formal 10-day strike notice to the facility’s administration and management over unfair labor practices. 

Optalis Healthcare, run by CEO Raj Patel, took over the facility in July. Last week, management shocked workers by notifying them that their wages would be slashed by up to $10 per hour starting on Labor Day, a holiday established for the purpose of honoring workers. The wage cut would jeopardize residents’ care, while also violating the facility’s current union contract and the National Labor Relations Act..

“We come to work every day to make sure our residents are safe, healthy, and cared for with dignity,” said Quiana Martin, Nursing Assistant and a member of SEIU Healthcare Michigan. “No caregiver wants to strike, but cutting wages undermines the stability of care inside this facility. How does taking from the people who provide hands-on care help patients get stronger, better treatment? We are standing together because our residents deserve the very best, and that is what we are determined to deliver.”

If Optalis Healthcare moves forward with its illegal wage cuts, the union is prepared to conduct a three-day unfair labor practice strike beginning Sept. 9 with more than 100 workers.

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