BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — After six months of negotiations, Catholic Health workers have voted by more than 90 percent to authorize a strike.
On Monday, more than 2,000 union members at Mercy Hospital and affiliated facilities voted on whether to authorize a possible strike, as they say contract negotiations have stalled.
"Today we had our strike vote," said one union leader. "A supermajority of our members came out to vote for a one-day, in-person vote, and of those members voted, 90% to authorize a strike."
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Since March, members have been negotiating for things like better wages and safer staffing levels.
"People are unhappy with the conditions," John Pirrone, respiratory therapist at Mercy Hospital and member of the collective bargaining team, said. "People are unhappy about coming in and having to work so short-staffed. Sometimes it's one, two, three nurses on a floor that we may not have."
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Catholic Health Officials say they're disappointed in this decision but will work with the union on a new contract.
"As of right now, we'll go back to the table tomorrow and the rest of the week and see where we get in negotiations," said one union leader. "We can authorize and hand them over a 10-day strike notice at any given time when we feel the need to."
