BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Healthcare workers at Catholic Health are preparing to vote on strike authorization as contract negotiations remain stalled after six months of bargaining.
The union representing workers at the region's third-largest employer, Communication Workers of America, announced that members will vote on Monday on whether to authorize a strike if an agreement is not reached.
"It's not something anybody wants to do, because if Mercy goes on strike, those nurses don't have a job," said nurse Fred Rich.
The situation mirrors events from 2021 when workers at the same facilities went on strike after their previous contract expired.
"It does seem as though it's deja vu all over again," said CWA Upstate New York Area Director Deborah Hayes.
The Issues
Union members have been negotiating since March, with safe staffing levels emerging as a major sticking point - the same issue that led to the 2021 strike.
"We secured groundbreaking contractual ratios not only for our nurses, but for technical and ancillary staff as well. Now the hospital is trying to roll back those ratios we fought for," said Brian Magner, a nurse and Local 1133 chapter president.
Union members say they want Catholic Health held accountable to the agreed-upon staffing levels.
EKG technician Kevonna Neely described the challenges facing technical staff who work more hours for lower pay.
"We have people leaving every day who say they're working somewhere else for better wages, or they're doing so much overtime it leads to absenteeism," said Neely. "The hospital can say 'don't pick up so much,' but they're worried about their coworkers being short-staffed."
Beyond staffing, workers are seeking improvements to security, attendance policies, and flexible time-off options.
"Not because we're weak, but because the system keeps asking us to be superhuman," Rich said.
Rich described a culture of fear around taking time off at the facilities.
Catholic Health's Response
After submitting a proposal to CWA on August 29, Catholic Health sent 7 News a statement saying the package includes increased salaries while maintaining generous pension and health benefits, and staffing ratios that support hospital employees and maintain the highest quality patient outcomes in the region.
“After eight months of fair and realistic bargaining, we believe our latest offer gets our associates to where they want to be,” said Catholic Health's President & CEO Joyce Markiewicz, who's also a nurse. “We believe that this commitment clearly demonstrates how much we value our nurses and staff, who, along with our physicians, provide the high-quality care Catholic Health is known for.”
They added that they were somewhat surprised by the upcoming strike vote.
"They shouldn't be shocked by this. We have been working for six months, and we still have 75 open articles. It's ridiculous that we're here. We need to get to the bargaining table and get it done," responded Hayes.
Catholic Health also noted that their health insurance coverage is comprehensive and that nurses out of college would earn more than $41.79/hour before adding pay for things like night and evening hours, extra shifts, and potential bonuses.
However, union workers emphasized they are bargaining for all employees, not just nurses.
“We urge all our associates to educate themselves on what the hospitals offer so they can understand how far we’ve come together in their favor in the face of national healthcare uncertainty,” said Markiewicz.
WATCH: 'Deja vu': Catholic Health workers might strike as contract negotiations stall
What's Next
If no agreement is reached by Monday's strike vote and workers authorize the action, the union will issue a 10-day strike notice. This could lead to a repeat of the 2021 strike that affected the same facilities four years ago.
Workers expressed hope that a strike could be avoided through continued negotiations.
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