Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Nearly 8,000 Kaleida Health workers at local healthcare facilities have approved a new three-year labor agreement after three days of voting.
“This contract provides an excellent wage and benefit package and improvements in staffing. We have language in the contract that will help us to enforce the agreed upon staffing ratios in the contract," said Cori Gambini, RN and CWA Local 1168 President in a written statement Thursday night.
"This is a great contract," Cheryl Marino, one of the lead negotiators with 1199SEIU tells WBEN. "This was all done without concessions. In the climate that we're in right now this was a great win, not only for the union members and Kaleida Health but for the community."
The deal covers employees at Buffalo General, Oishei Children's Hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban, HighPointe on Michigan, DeGraff Medical Park and many community-based clinics throughout Western New York.
Workers are represented by unions 1199SEIU and Communications Workers of America. 94% of 1199SEIU members voted yes compared to 79.5% of CWA members.
The contract includes "dozens" of job improvements for service workers, including moving them into a higher wage classification based on their role. Union members also received improvements to insurance and pensions.
Nurses, tech employees, business workers, and service and maintenance workers are all covered under the agreement.
Kaleida Health President and CEO Don Boyd applauded the agreement Friday morning. In a written statement, Boyd said:
"Our employees are the heart of Kaleida Health. Delivering the highest quality care to our patients and community starts with them. We must continue to invest in them and support all that they do. This is a fair contract, and it will help in our efforts to be the employer of choice in Western New York.”