Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Six months of contract negotiations and workers at Catholic Health have given the union a strike authorization vote.
"This gives the union one more piece of ammunition in the battle at the
bargaining table. It doesn't mean there is going to be a strike," said Art Wheaton of Cornell in Buffalo. "It just means that they have the ability to call one as a last resort."
Members of CWA Local 1133 have said they're fighting for wages, adequate staffing levels and time off.
Wheaton expects compromise on both sides.
"Neither side will get what they want but hopefully both sides will get something they can live with," he said.
Why does bargaining so often come down to the 11th hour?
"It's the nature of the beast. It's how the process works," Wheaton said. "Final offers come on the final day. It's not unusual for the most progress to be made in the last hour of negotiations. It's referred as deadline behavior."
Recently, a strike was averted at Kaleida Health. How much will that contract impact these negotiations?
Wheaton says in several industries, especially the auto industry, they have, what's called, pattern bargaining.
"You bargain at one company or one location and that sets a pattern for what the other ones will get. It makes a difference, but doesn't automatically guarantee they will copy it," he explained. "They're trying to draw from the same pool of employees. If you have significantly better benefits at one hospital system, you could end up drawing away employees from another."
The CWA represents around 2,800 workers across the three facilities; Mercy Hospital, Kenmore Mercy Hospital, and Sisters of Charity-St. Joseph Campus.
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