Upstate, NY – Nearly 8,000 hospital workers at Kaleida Health are set to begin voting on a 3-year agreement next week.  Just two hours before a strike authorization vote was set to begin earlier this month, unionized Hospital workers at Upstate Western New York’s largest private sector employer reached a 3-year tentative agreement, canceling their strike authorization vote. 

 

Since that time, unionized hospital employees have been reviewing the terms of the agreement. 

 

Ratification votes will be held from Tuesday, July 22^nd through Thursday, July 24^th at the following locations:

 

Tuesday, July 22 

·         Buffalo General Medical Center, Swift Aud from 6:30 AM – 8:00 PM
              *Media availability time is pending for this site*

Wednesday, July 23 

·         Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital from 6:30 AM – 8:00 PM

Thursday, July 24 

·         Oishei Children’s Hospital from 6:30 AM – 8:00 PM 

·         DeGraff Medical Park from 6:00 AM – 3:00 PM

·         Flint Road Labs from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM 

Hospital workers were demanding improvements in benefits and wages that would recruit and retain more staff to care for patients at Kaleida Health’s hospitals, nursing homes, and clinics across Western New York.  Healthcare workers are represented by Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.

 

If ratified, details of the agreement will be made public. 

 

The new 3-year tentative agreement covers nearly 8,000 healthcare workers at Buffalo General Medical Center, Oishei Children’s Hospital, Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital, HighPointe on Michigan, DeGraff Medical Park, and various community-based clinics across Western New York. 

 

Union members work as Registered Nurses, Licensed Practical Nurses, Professionals, Technical Employees, Clinicians, Business Office Clerical, and Service and Maintenance at three major hospitals, 2 nursing homes and a variety of clinics across Erie and Niagara Counties. 

 

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The Communications Workers of America represents 300,000 working people nationally in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, and manufacturing.
https://www.cwa1168.org  

 

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East is the largest and fastest-growing healthcare union in America. We represent over 400,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida. Our mission is to achieve quality care and good jobs for all.

https://www.1199seiu.org