Unionized group home employees working for Sunrise rallied Thursday in Hartford, decrying the company for threatening to replace striking workers and for not signing a contract with the union.

Workers, union leaders and politicians gathered in front of Sunrise Northeast in Hartford, expressing their outrage and disappointment about Sunrise’s treatment of workers and handling of contract negotiations. More than 40 people picketed in front of the facility Thursday, marching and chanting, before giving way to speakers. Still dozens of others stood nearby in solidarity.

During the rally, workers demanded Sunrise sign a labor contract, described in a news release as “a new union contract that reflects the $184 million in additional funding won by workers and approved by Governor Ned Lamont’s administration.” In June, the state allocated that money for wage and benefit increases for group home workers; providers needed to submit requests to the state to access the employee benefit pool but wage increases didn't require an application. Money from the pool would supplement what Sunrise is offering.

Speakers were astounded that despite the extra money, and despite other group home agencies signing labor contracts, Sunrise is holding out. They accused the company of retaliation for the more than seven weeks of striking. More than a dozen Democratic state lawmakers were in attendance, including Senate Leader Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven.

“The legislature did anticipate the need to set aside funds for the settlement of contracts for nursing homes and group homes. What Sunrise is attempting to do is unconscionable,” Looney said. “What’s here is especially outrageous because the resources are there to provide for a reasonable contract, but it is not happening yet, so we have to fight for that.”

According to a news release from the union put out ahead of Thursday’s noon rally, the Florida company “continues to deny workers a fair contract after more than a month on strike” and “has threatened caregivers with permanent replacements due to their union activities.” The strike began Oct. 12.

“I am very disappointed, especially considering everything these workers went through during COVID-19. More than 1,000 union caregivers at group homes and day programs in Connecticut have signed and ratified new contracts with identical language as proposed to Sunrise, backed by millions of dollars in new funding,” state House Speaker Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, said in the news release. “The best thing Sunrise can do right now for the people who need services and for its own workers is to settle a contract without further delay as we go into the holidays.”

Workers from both New London and Hartford also took turns addressing the crowd Thursday, making an emotional appeal to Sunrise to allow them to take care of their families as well as their patients. Multiple speakers, including Rob Baril, president of District 1199, SEIU, said Sunrise’s current $5,800 monthly premiums for family health insurance are prohibitively steep.

“Not one single worker, not one member of our union here, can afford to take the damn health insurance,” Baril said, with the crowd responding, “Shame, shame on Sunrise.” He added, “We have workers working into their 60s, into their 70s, who can’t afford to retire.”

Dawn Frey, executive director of Sunrise Northeast, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday. In a taped video message on Nov. 22, she said the company offered a contract that would "bring health care premiums down to the levels proposed by the union contingent on state funding," increase wages and include retroactive wage payments, but it was a time-sensitive offer.

In his speech Thursday, Baril made clear that the union has the money to continue striking, saying there’s $10 million in its strike and defense fund.

“Collectively we have two million members across this country, and they may not think we have the ability to respond when they go on the attack, but they’re about to find out, our arm’s real long,” he said. “We got a lot of reach.”

s.spinella@theday.com