BALTIMORE (AP) - About 60 union workers protested Monday at a conference where the head of a private-equity firm spoke to business editors and reporters.
Workers from Manor Care nursing homes around the U.S. protested David Rubenstein's speech, chanting and passing out flyers, said Julie Eisenhardt, a spokeswoman for the Service Employees International Union.
The head of the Washington-based Carlyle Group, which bought out Manor Care Inc. in December, spoke to the Society of American Business Editors and Writers about private equity firms. Rubenstein had left before the protesters arrived, Carlyle spokesman Chris Ulman said.
Baltimore police were called to the Inner Harbor hotel after the protestors went inside, but no one was arrested.
Rubenstein said SEIU wants to represent workers who don't want that representation and that Carlyle has good relationships with various unions.
SEIU sought to block the Manor Care deal last year, arguing that staffing levels and patient care would suffer under a private equity firm. Eisenhardt said Monday that SEIU remains concerned about staffing levels and employee training.
Manor Care operates about 500 facilities across the country and has approximately $4 billion in annual revenue. Ulman said Manor Care has about 60,000 workers, of which about 1,100 are represented by a union.
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