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Thursday, March 28, 2024

CWA workers at Catholic Health's Mercy Hospital begin strike after contract negotiations break down overnight

Credit: WKBW Buffalo
Duration: 04:51s 0 shares 3 views

CWA workers at Catholic Health's Mercy Hospital begin strike after contract negotiations break down overnight
CWA workers at Catholic Health's Mercy Hospital begin strike after contract negotiations break down overnight

Catholic Health Services says CWA bargaining committee members walked out of contract negotiations early Friday morning, leading workers to strike.

HAVE JUST ENTERED THE 12THHOUR OF THEIR STRIKE.GOOD EVENING ONCE AGAIN --TODAY - NEARLY TWO-THOUSANDWORKERS AT MERCY HOSPITALWALKED OUT... AS THEIRUNION... NEGOTIATES A NEW DEALWITH CATHOLIC HEALTH.

BOTHPARTIES HAVE BEEN AT THENEGOTIATING TABLE FOR MORETHAN EIGHTEEN DAYS NOW.

THEUNION IS DEMANDING BETTERPAY... MORE STAFF... ANDBETTER WORKING CONDITIONS.CATHOLIC HEALTH IS PROPOSING ANEW FOUR-YEAR CONTRACT.

ITWOULD INCLUDE RAISES UP TOTWENTY-FIVE PERCENT.

THEHEALTH CARE SYSTEM WOULD ALSOADD 230 NEW POSITIONS.THAT PROPOSAL FROM CATHOLICHEALTH... WAS FIRST MADEPUBLIC ABOUT TWENTY-FOUR HOURSAGO.

BUT AFTER HOURS AT THETABLE -- TALKS BEGAN TO BREAKDOWN... ABOUT THREE- THIRTYTHIS MORNING.

AND THEN - ATSIX A-M.... THE STRIKEOFFICIALLY BEGAN... WITHWORKERS WALKING OUT.REPORTER HANNAH BUEHLER --LEADING OFF OUR COVERAGETONIGHT -- JOINING US LIVEOUTSIDE MERCY HOSPITAL.YOU HEAR CHANTS YOU HEAR HONKSTHIS IS THE SCENE OUTSIDEMERCY HOSPITAL AND A STRIKEHAS BEEN WAGED AGAINSTCATHOLIC HEALTH SINCE 6 :00THIS MORNING THE TWO SIDES&UNABLE TO COME TO AN EARLYMORNING AGREEMENT INBARGAINING DESPITE A 33MILLION DOLLAR COMPENSATIONPLAN THAT CATHOLIC HEALTH SAYSWAS PRESENTED TO THE CWA EARLYTHIS MORNINIGTHE KEY FACTORS FOR THOSESTRIKING TODAY: FAIR WAGESMORE STAFFING BENEFITSWE ASKED THEM TO PULL THE 10DAY STRIKE NOTICE BECAUSEWE'RE SO CLOSE LET'S TAKE 2MORE DAYS AND THE UNION LEFTCATHOLIC HEALTH CEO MARKSULLIVAN SAYS AT 3:30 AMCATHOLIC HEALTH PRESENTED A 33MILLION DOLLAR CONTRACT TOADDRESS THE UNION'S ISSUES OFSTAFFING AND WAGES MARKSULLIVAN SAYS THE PAY INCREASEWOULD OUT 20 MILLION DOLLARSINTO STAFFING NEEDS AND GIVERAISES BETWEEN 2% AND 32% TOEMPLOYEES BUT THE CWA CALLSTHIS*BUL* AND SAYS THEY'VEBEEN BARGAINING IN GOOD FAITHWITH CATHOLIC HEALTH SINCEFEBRUARY AND SULLIVAN'S LASTMINUTE PITCH IN ATTEMPT TOSTOP A STRIKE IS INSULTINGIF WE ARE GOIBNG TO DO THIS WEARE GOING TO DO IT RIGHT WE'REWILLING TO GO BACK TO THETABLE AND WE'RE WILLING TOWORK BUT THROWING A COUPLE OFBUCKS AT US AT THE 11TH HOURAND THINKING WE CAN BE BOUGHTOFF ON OUR MAIN ISSUE ISCOMPLETELY WRONG CWA UNIONMEMBERS CALL THE HOSPITAL'SADMINISTRATION*OUT OF TOUC*AND*TONE DEA* PERHAPS THEMOST IMPORTANT TO THE CWA ISMORE STAFFING- THEY SAYCONFITIONS INSIDE THE HOSPITALARE HORRIFYING BECAUSE OFSHORT STAFF&..

CWA LEADERS SAYTHEY'RE STILL FAR FROMREACHING A DEAL.

AND THISSTRIKE HITS HOMEOUTCUE: WHEN THEIR LOVED ONESCAN'T BE THERE SO FAR NOAGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED ANDNO DATE HAS BEEN SET FORFURTHER BARGAINING CATHOLICHEALTH SAYS IT'S SPENDINGMILLIONS OF DOLLARS BRINGINGIN TEMPORARY WORKERS} ONE OF THE BIGGEST STICKINGPOINT IN THIS LABOR BATTLE ISABOUT SAFE STAFFING LEVELSINSIDE MERCY HOSPITAL.

THEUNION SAYS THERE ARE NOTENOUGH NURSES TO HANDLE THEPATIENT LOAD AND ARE DEMANDINGBETTER*NURSE- TO-PATIEN*RATIOS}} (:08) (:40) (1:18)}ETTIPIO.

"IT'S DANGEROUS...ONENURSE TO TEN PATIENTS THAT AREPARALYZED&IT'S JUSTRIDICULOUS& YOU CAN'T MOTH

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