BUFFALO (WBEN) - Wednesday marks day 20 of the CWA healthcare worker strike at Mercy Hospital amid ongoing contract negotiations with Catholic Health.
Though workers on the picket line Tuesday said morale continues to be strong, they admitted that they didn't expect it to take this long for a resolution to come to fruition.
"I didn't think we'd be out here this long; I don't think any of us did," said Jamie Banks, a CAT Scan technologist at Mercy Hospital. "But again, we've got to have this contract be soundproof for what we need and make sure we don't ever have to be out here again like this."
"Most of us thought it would probably be wrapped up in the first week, and then when we went into the second week, I was really surprised," added RN Chris Anderson. "We just came together and realized we just got to be stronger, and we've got to keep doing what we're doing."
Of course, CWA leaders and Catholic Health officials have gone back and forth over the past couple weeks, explaining why their respective sides are in the right.
Catholic Health has repeatedly stated only CWA can end the strike, but Anderson isn't a fan of that messaging.
[shortcode-inline-related expand="1" link="/wben/news/cwa-i-dont-think-were-there-yet" headline="CWA: "I don't think we're there yet." CHS: "We're at the table with the CWA every day."" image="/media-library/image.jpg?id=63623925"]"It is not CWA that can end this strike; first of all, it's both parties," said Anderson. "I just want to elaborate that we're out here for a reason - we wouldn't be out here unless it was for a big enough reason...so we put it on them."
When asked if they're worried about the potential for irreparable harm to the relationship between workers and Catholic Health administrators, Banks and Anderson went in different directions.
"No, I don't," said Banks. "I hope that there's an understanding, and I hope we can come back together and work together, and we're only going to make this place stronger."
"I've never thought about that to be honest with you - I would hope that would never ever be an issue," answered Anderson. "Unfortunately, I do hear a lot...and it's going to be different going back in."
