Nursing home workers at several St. Louis area facilities are attempting to organize and have turned to the health care arm of Service Employees International Union in recent months.

On Monday, SEIU Healthcare of Missouri and Kansas filed petitions with the National Labor Relations Board seeking representation elections at two area facilities, the Crestwood Health Care Center in Florissant and Ackert Park Skilled Care Community in University City.

The employees seeking SEIU representation include certified nurse assistants, medical technicians, dietary aides, and laundry and housekeeping staffers. About 80 workers at Crestwood and 70 at Ackert are affected.

Officials with Crestwood and Ackert could not immediately be reached for comment.

Crestwood is operated by Maryland Heights-based Reliant Care Management Company LLC, which operates 15 nursing homes in Missouri and Illinois, according to its website. Ackert is owned and operated by Future Focus of U-City LLC, according to its website. Future Focus parent company is St. Charles-based Focused Senior Communities, which operates as a consultant for other nursing homes in addition to developing and operating facilities, its website states.

Bryan Evans, collective bargaining and representation coordinator for SEIU, said the workers were looking to improve wages, working conditions, and quality of care.

If the union wins the elections, it would begin bargaining on behalf of its members for a contract.

The petitions are the latest of several organizing efforts at area nursing homes.

In August, SEIU Healthcare successfully organized about 120 service workers at The Cedars of Town and Country in Chesterfield.

Also in August, a petition was filed on behalf of staffers at Green Valley Nursing Home & Rehabilition Center in Spanish Lake. But the petition was later withdrawn, according to the NLRB.

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Union activity heats up in St. Louis' health care sector