BUFFALO, N.Y. — CWA union members have voted to approve a new four-year contract with Catholic Health.
The union says 94% of its members voted to ratify the contract Monday, affecting more than 2,500 registered nurses along with service, technical and clerical staff at Kenmore Mercy Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo and Sisters of Charity Hospital.
CWA workers went on strike back on Oct. 1, asking Catholic Health for more money and better working conditions.
The new contract will allow Catholic Health to hire more workers, and almost every worker in the union at those hospitals will see a boost in their paycheck and have access to better benefits.
In a statement, CWA area director Debora Hayes called the new deal a “tremendous victory.”
"The agreement we’ve reached with Catholic Health, now overwhelmingly ratified by our members, is going to allow Catholic Health to attract and retain the staff they need, provide the good wages and benefits our healthcare heroes deserve and usher in a new level of care and safety for patients ... Thanks to the steadfast determination and sacrifices of our members over the past five weeks, these Catholic Health hospitals are now the first in New York, and some of the only across the country that will guarantee safe staffing levels. This is a tremendous victory not only for our members, but for the patients, their families and the community who can be assured they will receive the highest quality care. We have set a new standard and we applaud Catholic Health for working diligently with us to get there.”
Catholic Health CEO Mark Sullivan also released a statement, saying:
"It’s a new day for Mercy Hospital as we prepare to welcome back our associates, and for Catholic Health as we refocus our energies on providing the highest quality care and service to the people of Western New York ... Our collective healing process will take time, but I am confident in the ability of our leadership team and associates to work and heal together, and know we will emerge even stronger than before.”
Workers are set to return to Mercy Hospital Wednesday.
