BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - There is optimism that a deal between the union employees at Mercy Hospital and Catholic Health will reach an agreement on a labor deal and avoid a strike which could begin as early as the morning of October 1.
"I'll be surprised if it gets to that," Larry Zielinski, a former President at Buffalo General Hospital, said. "If it gets to that, then that's, I think, a failure of the negotiation on both sides because there would be nothing more disruptive to patient care than a strike like this. Patient care is what both the folks at Catholic Health are in the business of providing and the union members are committed to as well."
Citing staffing, pay issues, and a lack of hospital resources, Communications Workers of America Local 1133 indicated their intent to strike beginning next Friday at 6 a.m. if no deal is reached. Catholic Health responded to the union Tuesday afternoon news conference with a statement blasting the union for "inflammatory rhetoric" and defended the lack of staffing and resources.
"The pandemic and a nationwide labor shortage have created supply chain and staffing challenges that are stressing all hospitals," Catholic Health said in the statement. "CWA represents healthcare workers employed by other Western New York hospitals and is raising concerns about reported "months-long" and "widespread" shortages of various supplies like linens. The shortages are not unique to Catholic Health hospitals."
Zielinski was President at Buffalo General Hospital from 2008 to 2011. In his last labor negotiation, he remembered the contentious negotiation in which the union took a strike vote.
"They actually did an informational picket around the hospital but ultimately, we were able to come to a resolution," he recalled. "I'm hopeful. If I was a betting man, I'd bet there was a resolution before a strike."
CWA Local 1133 warned that the temporary workers who will be hired by Catholic Health in the event of a strike will have a negative effect on the quality of care.
"I believe that it will absolutely affect the quality of care," Debora Hayes, Director of CWA Upstate, said. "There is absolutely no replacement for our members and the work that they do in those facilities every day. It doesn't matter if you're a nurse or respiratory therapist or imaging tech or work in dietary or environmental services, everyone plays a role in keeping the hospitals functioning and giving the best care to our patient. There are absolutely no replacements that they can bring in that will do the job that our members will do."
Catholic Health said the temporary workers will be hired through a professional staffing agencies. The temps would be "fully licensed, highly experienced, vaccinated temporary replacement nurses and other qualified staff to provide uninterrupted care and service for the duration of the strike."
