AFSCME Local 829 filed a wage theft complaint against Brius on Monday, claiming that the company has stolen more than $150,000 from dozens of essential workers who have been providing care to some of the community's most vulnerable patients.

Earlier this year, more than 150 brave members at the Burlingame Skilled Nursing Facility went on strike to call out the unfair labor practices being used by management at Brius as COVID-19 swept through the facility.

Dozens of patients have died from COVID-19 at the facility, one of our members died from COVID-19 and nearly all our members have gotten the virus while working there.

"I feel like Brius does not respect us and is not treating us the way we deserve to be treated," said Irma Torres, a laundry worker and a member of Local 829. "We are demanding all our stolen wages returned to us and our full pay moving forward."

The wage theft complaint, filed with San Mateo County's Procurement Division, is the latest action our members have taken to get Brius, the largest for-profit nursing home operator in California, to comply with its obligation to the local community it serves.

In August 2020, the county entered into a contract with Brius to operate the Burlingame Skilled Nursing Facility. The contract requires that Brius comply with the county’s living wage ordinance, which states that no worker should be paid less than $17.19 per hour.

Through our union’s research, members have found that Brius has been paying more than 40 workers—most of whom work in housekeeping, laundry and food service—below a living wage.

Some workers are being paid as low as $14.58 per hour. This amounts to more than $150,000 in stolen wages from low-wage workers who have been essential to the facility throughout this entire pandemic.

Watch the video to hear our members and supporters from the community share why it's important for Brius to treat the workers fairly.