Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Health care workers represented by CWA Local 1168 and 1199SEIU say they will hold a strike vote next week, as contract talks with Kaleida Health continue.
"The decision to strike is really in the hands of Kaleida Health and New York State, at this point," said Cori Gambini, President of the CWA Local 1168.
Union workers picketed Thursday afternoon outside Buffalo General and Oishei Children's Hospitals. According to 1199 SEIU Vice President, Jim Scordato, the marketing committee of 50 will make a decision to ask our members to call for a strike nest Monday.
"The way our systems work, both systems - both the unions kind of have the same system - we have to get authority from our membership to give the bargaining committee the right to call for a strike," explained Scordato of the process. "There are different things in place that have to happen for us to have the authority sitting at the table to make that decision. So this is the logical next step."
While Scordato and Gambini know this is the last thing either union wants to do, there is still a lot of work in the hospital to do with the patients and taking care of the people of Western New York.
"That's our commitment to do that, but [also] to send a message, not only to Kaleida but also New York State government, this is the next step, and we know our members will give us the authority," Scordato said. "Once that's in place, once we have those votes, then we'll be making a determination to see where bargaining is going, and hopefully the state steps in and helps in areas where we need help. And again, not just for Kaleida, but all healthcare in Western New York. Fundamental changes need to happen in Western New York and in the healthcare system."
The picketing occurred as contract bargaining advances and called attention to, what union leaders claim, are unacceptable working conditions in the hospital system created by severe understaffing. Workers are seeking a new contract with "increased wages, improved benefits, and guaranteed safe staffing to help recruit and retain staff."
Union workers says they want Kaleida to address more than 800 open vacancies in addition to 436 newly created positions they say Kaleida has committed to filling to comply with the state’s safe staffing law.
"Right now, we got a lot of stuff off the table, but we're still working very hard for staffing and our wage and benefit package," Gambini said of negotiations at this point. "When it comes to wages and benefits, we're very far apart."
In a written update Thursday, Kaleida stated its goal in the ongoing negotiations is to reclaim the organizations status as the market leader in wages, benefits and staffing levels.
Kaleida says its current economic proposal is nearly 30% higher than the cost of the 2019-2022 master agreement, not even including new staffing related commitment and related costs ($110 million today vs $85 million in 2019) and adds it is committed to defined ratios as part of the New York State approved clinical staffing committee (CSC) process that would result in the creation of 436 new positions.