Negotiations at Catholic Health (Buffalo) coming to a head?

A year-long contract dispute at Buffalo’s Catholic Health system may be heading for a strike. Nurses and other employees at the system’s St. Joseph Hospital have been bargaining since their contract expired last summer; now the contract has also expired at the system’s Mercy Hospital property. Among the key issues: the nurses are calling for improved staffing ratios, while the hospital is asking for employee concessions on health insurance. Now the Mercy employees have voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike, and St. Joseph workers will vote later in the month.

The Communications Workers of America (CWA) represents thousands of employees at the two hospitals and has created a website to share views and information with members and the public. To visit, CLICK HERE. The hospital responded to the strike vote with a statement on its website.