County raises wage for some rest home workers (2024)

Laurenz BuschBozeman Daily Chronicle

The Gallatin County Rest Home raised wages for its nurses to attract new full-time employees as it continues to spend millions on temporary contract labor.

Last week, Darcel Vaughn, the rest home’s administrator, confirmed the change for the unionized employees with the Chronicle, however, the same will not be true for all rest home employees.

On Wednesday, the Gallatin County Commission denied a similar increase for nursing facility’s certified nursing assistants, citing concerns of broader subsequent impacts.

“We’re the only skilled nursing facility in Gallatin County,” Vaughn said. “We’re not competitive even with the assisted living facilities as far as certified nursing assistants.”

As leaders and department heads of the Gallatin County government met this week to discuss budget proposals for FY25, Vaughn urged them to raise wages for the CNAs as they had for the unionized registered nurses and licensed practical nurses.

“The CNAs are the backbone of the nursing home — I don’t know how many of us would want to take care of hygiene and feeding with our elderly — maybe with our own parents — but to be doing that for complete strangers, it takes a big heart,” Vaughn said. “It’s a tough job both physically and emotionally.”

Yet, the commissioners denied the request citing the recommendation of the compensation committee which warned of further cascading effects across the county’s departments and asserted that CNA wages are fair among other facilities.

Paying what’s fair, however, might not be enough in this case, Vaughn said, arguing that “CNAs have historically been underpaid for the job they’ve done — it’s just been a part of the industry (and) at some point that history needs to be changed.”

The registered nurses and licensed practical nurses at the rest home will see their new hourly pay ranges change to $35 to $43 and $30 to $38, respectively, starting July 1.

Those represent a $5 and $7 increase for base pay.

In April, the Chronicle reported that for years the rest home has struggled financially as it continues to spend millions of dollars on temporary contract nurses — also known as “travelers.”

About 76% of the rest home’s staff are travelers for which the county pays $40 to $95 an hour, depending on position. Those travel employees will then get a percentage from the agency they’re contracted with.

In 2022, the rest home spent around $1.2 million on contract staffing and this year, they’re on track to break $5.7 million, roughly 60% of their total FY24 budget.

For those critical of the rest home, strategic incentives could attract prospective employees but raising wages has been a key focal point.

Kim Stolte, who repeatedly showed up at county commission meetings at the beginning of this year, has pushed for higher wages.

“Raising the wages for current employees is good and valid, but we really need to raise the wages to attract prospective employees,” Stolte said.

In a text message on Thursday, Stotle remains adamant that although the rest home is set to raise wages come July, it won’t be enough as they try to become more competitive with the Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center, arguably their main competitor for staffing.

“It’s not enough to attract new graduate nurses,” Stolte wrote. “Too bad on the CNAs especially since they are paying travel CNA companies $65/hour.”

Although the CNAs will not receive an additional raise, the county did approve a 3% inflationary raise for all county employees and potentially an additional 4% for those who qualify, Jim Doar, the county administrator said.

Vaughn says that may push CNAs over the $20-an-hour mark.

“There is a Compensation Committee for a reason and the Commissioners are standing firm that they need to be consistent in all requests for raises and follow those recommendations,” Vaughn said via email. “By doing this there is no favoritism.”