Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Kaleida Health and unionized healthcare workers were able to avoid a strike after an early-morning deal was reached Tuesday.
The three-year, tentative deal was reached at 4 a.m., just two hours before workers were to begin voting on whether or not to strike. Negotiations had been going on since March with multiple short-term extensions being signed since then.
"We got to a point [Monday] where we realized that we really did have a framework for an agreement," said CWA Area Director Debbie Hayes in an interview with Brian Mazurowski and Susan Rose Tuesday morning. "There are times that once you realize you have the framework, there's a lot of details and back-and-forth that have to be accomplished."
“We’ve been negotiating with Kaleida Health for months and after more than 16 hours at the table today, we were able to reach an agreement that we believe is good for our members and the community,” said Cathy DiFlavio, RN and 1199SEIU Administrative Organizer in a written statement Tuesday morning.
Workers, represented by Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO and 1199SEIU, were fighting for more staffing and better wages. There's almost 8,000 healthcare workers under Kaleida's employ at Western New York hospitals, including Buffalo General, Oishei Children's, Millard Fillmore Suburban, HighPointe on Michigan, DeGraff Medical Park and other community-based clinics across the region.
Workers will review and vote on the agreement within the next few weeks.
Kaleida Health issued the following statement to WBEN:
“Our workforce is our number one asset. Kaleida Health committed to a new contract that recognizes our workforce’s contributions, allows operational excellence, and promotes a culture of dignity and respect. The contract rewards our current employees, increases wages, improves staffing, and helps attract and retain new staff.”