Buffalo, N.Y. )WBEN) - After three days of voting, union workers represented by CWA1168 and 1199SEIU have formally ratified their new three year bargaining agreement with Kaleida Health that covers 6,392 employees.
In a statement released late Thursday, Don Boyd, President & CEO of Kaleida Health said, "Our employees are the backbone of Kaleida Health. Delivering the highest quality care to our patients starts with them. So it is vital that we continue to invest 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."
Kaleida says the new contract gives the organization some financial certainty the next three years from an expense perspective as they continue to dig out from the pandemic, rebuild and reimagine the organization.
Boyd added, "Doing that – rebuilding and reimaging this entity called Kaleida Health – will not be easy. Despite Federal and State leaders declaring the pandemic 'over,' we are far from it. In fact, the financial and operations headwinds that we face are enormous. I believe 2023 and even 2024 are going to be even more difficult for Kaleida Health and the entire hospital industry.
The new contract adds over 500 new jobs, improves wages and pension, addresses safe staffing as well as job security issues. It runs through May 31, 2025 and is retroactive to May 31.
