BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW — On Thursday morning, 1199SEIU and CWA Hospital Workers, representing nearly 8,000 Kaleida Health workers, announced a strike authorization vote at Kaleida Health, which will take place on July 8, 9 and 10
"Our key concerns are still unresolved," said Cori Gambini, President, CWA Local 1168.
All of this over claims of inadequate wages and short staff at Kaleida facilities. There have been four months of negotiations over the 2022 labor deal, which has been extended now three times. It expires on Friday at 11:59 p.m.
WATCH: Nearly 8,000 Kaleida Health workers nearing strike over inadequate wages, staffing
The agreement covers nearly 8,000 workers at hospitals and clinics in Western New York, including:
- Buffalo General Medical Center
- Oishei Children's Hospital
- Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital
- HighPointe on Michigan
- DeGraff Medical Park
"We have submitted thousands of complaints," said Gambini. "That prompted visits from the Department of Health. Kaleida then had to submit a plan of correction to the state, yet we continue to operate short-staffed in many areas, and we continue to file the complaints."
In a statement, a Kaleida Health spokesperson said:
“Kaleida Health continues to bargain in good faith and remains focused on getting language to allow some flexibility to ensure safe, predictable staffing and creating a healthy work environment where everyone feels they are treated with dignity and respect. We are committed to do all that we can to achieve a fair contract that rewards our current employees, helps attract new staff, and puts Kaleida Health in a strong position going forward.”
This is occurring as members of Congress are debating over cutting funding to Medicaid, which would impact hospitals, nursing homes and health facilities across the country. According to Kaleida Health President and CEO Don Boyd, if these cuts go through, Oishei Children's Hospital, where most of the patients rely on Medicaid, could lose $65 million in Medicaid funding per year.
Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney and Congressman Nick Langworthy were called out by the unions for looking to cut Medicaid funding. While Tenney has not responded to our inquiry, Langworthy fired back, saying that he's not looking to cut funding, but eliminate Medicaid fraud.
Langworthy Statement:
"We will root out the fraud, waste, and abuse that steal precious resources from the most vulnerable, and we will implement a fair, part‑time work requirement for able‑bodied, working‑age adults without school‑age dependents. This is about restoring accountability and basic fairness for those who have the ability to work but choose not to. It’s the same approach that President Bill Clinton brought to successful welfare reforms in the 1990s — and it’s exactly the right path for Medicaid today.”
