THE OXFORD Street St Clair Home, where hundreds of elderly residents spent their final months and years over the past few decades, has closed permanently, leaving some former employees in the dark as to the status of their salaries, severance pay and future employment.
It stands at the corner of Oxford and Pembroke Streets, where the original home burned down decades ago, but it was rebuilt and run under the supervision of trustees of the Anglican Diocese.
There were about eight residents in the months before its closure, some of whom were transferred to different homes, and eight full-time workers.
The last three residents were removed at the end of October and full-time workers released by the end of November. Their salaries, Newsday understands, had not been paid since July, before the last residents left, although they were asked to continue working to "make up time" until the doors were closed permanently. "Relief" workers were let go before the full-time workers.
"They said that by the end of November they would pay us for the past months, but that did not happen. We keep calling, but no answer. No one is giving us a proper reason," said a worker who asked not to be named.
She worked at the home for about 18 years, with several others passing the 20-year milestone.
There were far more residents in previous years but the numbers began to dwindle, she said, when the new matron was put in charge.
"It was then it started to run down, and obviously, if you have a relative in a home that is in that state, you'd remove them."
By then, she said, workers complained to the Occupational Safety and Health Agency (OSHA) about leaking bathrooms and damaged fixtures.
"OSHA came, health (authorities) came and still (nothing was done)."
The residents left one by one, she said, as the pandemic surged, but there were discussions about the home being closed long before.
"For years they said the place would be closing down, so I wouldn't say it was because of covid," she said, adding that the deterioration of the home and the families of residents not paying fees, or at least not doing so on time, were the likely reasons for its eventual closure.
The workers are not highly paid, she said. "We made simple earnings."
Asked if, like residents, they were offered placement in another similar home, she said they were not.
"They leave us to find a replacement job for ourselves.
"Right now, we are all at home waiting for a dollar."
The former workers are struggling to obtain their salary arrears, and there has been no discussion about severance payments to compensate for their many years of service.
"If we do get onto the matron, she keeps saying, 'Friday, next Friday,' but nothing."
The former worker said the last time she spoke with the matron, on Monday, she said the funds had been credited to the wrong account, and they would receive their salaries this Friday.
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