BUFFALO (WBEN) - On Friday, Attorney General Letitia James joined hundreds of striking CWA members on the picket line outside Mercy Hospital to ffer her support amid ongoing contract negotiations with Catholic Health.
Earlier this week, James' office issued a cease and desist letter to Huffmaster, one of the companies staffing Mercy Hospital during the nurses strike. The letter relates to the company providing security, saying they are violating state law because they are not licensed for security in New York State, and acting simultaneously as an employment agency and as a security company.
"We said it's illegal to hire a company that does not have the appropriate licensing, and as the chief law enforcement officer of the State of New York, I urge this hospital to remove the scabs," said James during the rally.
In response to the Huffmaster controversey, Catholic Health released the following statement Friday afternoon:
"Mercy Hospital is continuing to provide safe, high-quality care to patients during CWA's strike. Having adequate security through this ongoing work stoppage, which has included intimidating actions, verbal threats, and possibly illegal behaviors by individuals on the picket line, is a critical element in protecting Mercy Hospital's patients, visitors, suppliers and others. Huffmaster, the company providing replacement healthcare workers and security staff to Mercy Hospital during the strike, believes it has operated legally in New York for many years and is working closely with the Attorney General's office to resolve this situation."
