BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) "The announcement itself wasn't unexpected. But I think the situation is very serious." Larry Zielinsky, former President of Buffalo General Hospital, commenting on the labor unrest at Kaleida Health.
During an informational picket outside Buffalo General and Oishei Children's
Hospital on Thursday, union leaders signaled that a strike vote could be
taken in the next few weeks against Kaleida.
Contracts talks have been ongoing between Kaleida and CWA Local 1168
and 1199SEIU since March. Contracts expired July 31 and the bargaining committee has been meeting five days a week to hammer out a new contract covering more than six thousand workers.
Just talk of a strike authorization vote "turns up the heat," said Zielinsky, "especially on the system. The system simply cannot afford a strike. It would be disastrous," in his words.
Zielinsky explaining that Kaleida Health is in a precarious financial situation.
The same situation exists for health care providers across the country, but he said it's worse in New York State and even worse in Western New York.
"In Western New York, you predominantly have non profit health systems. And non profit health systems have a tougher road to hoe financially than for-profit health systems. Fitch, the credit rating service, just changed their outlook for non-profit hospitals to deteriorating."
Plus, Zielinsky said the regulatory environment in New York, in a good year, only allows margins of 1 to 2%, revenue over expenses.
As for the unions, CWA Local 1168 and 1199SEIU, Zielinsky said this is the sequence that they have to go through. They had to give ten days notice for the informational picket. They will have to give ten days notice of a strike vote
and there will be another ten days notice, if the vote is taken for a strike.
The six week strike at Mercy Hospital last Fall is not far from anyone's memory. "The Catholic Health strike set the new bar," said Zelinsky. "They have to at least match that bar. Those are the table stakes now."
Tentative agreements have been reached on many issues. But the two sides remain far apart on economic discussions as well as staffing levels.
"You have the potential here of a system wide strike," added Zielinsky.
"I personally don't believe the union would take that step. If there is strike action, I think it would be targeted. But the potential is for a strike across the Kaleida system. So the stakes are even higher."
There are a lot of eyes on the Kaleida negotiations. The New York State Nurses Association, representing 30-thousand workers, expires in a few months..
