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CWA 1133 Communications Vital Signs

January 2026 Vital Signs

Vacation Picks are Coming Soon:

KENMORE ONLY!

KMH RN Article 11: Paid Time Off (PTO) Section 9, e: 

  • e) requests for scheduling PTO vacation requests for one or more non-prime calendar weeks must be submitted electronically to the nurse manager three (3) months prior to the first day of the week in which time off is requested. Requests should indicate first and second choices. Reasonable efforts will be made to accommodate employee's vacation preferences. Each employee will be approved for a minimum of one (1) week of PTO during prime-time summer (Memorial Day Weekend - Labor Day weekend). Prime week requests must be submitted electronically to the nurse manager during the period March 1 - March 15 each year. If an employee is on vacation or off during the period of vacation selection, that employee must leave a contact number for the purpose of receiving a call to schedule. Weekends requested in conjunction with approved vacation time shall be approved. Responses to written vacation requests shall be submitted electronically within fourteen (14) days of the last date such requests must be filed

KMH Tech Article 10: Paid Time Off (PTO) Section 9, a-i: 

Section 9: Requests for one week or more of PTO shall be submitted three (3) times a year on Form HR15 as outlined below: 

a. by October 1 of the preceding year for the period of time from January 2 through May 31. 

b. by February 1 for the period of time from June 1 through Labor Day. 

c. by June 1 for the Tuesday after Labor Day through January 1.

d. Should an employee desire to request available time off outside the above deadline, if it remains, the request shall not be unreasonably denied. 

e. PTO slips will be made available to employees no later than thirty (30) days prior to the deadline for PTO submission. 

f. Approval or denial of such requests shall be indicated by no later than thirty (30) days after the deadline for each submission period. In case of conflict, seniority will be the determining factor. 

g. Each employee will be approved for a minimum of one (1) week of PTO during primetime summer (June 1 - Labor Day weekend). Additional weeks can be requested and are subject to management approval, only after each employee has been granted their first selection. Such request will not be unreasonably denied. 

h. For Imaging and OR, each department will allow one (1) FTE off per week per shift for vacation. Single PTO days will not be unreasonably denied.

i. Weekends in conjunction with approved vacation time shall be granted at the time of the initial vacation request. Should an employee request a PTO day, it will not be converted to a request off.

Vacation Picks are Coming Soon:

MERCY ONLY!

MHB RN Article 11: Paid Time Off (PTO) 

MHB STC Article 10: Paid Time Off (PTO) 

Section 9: 

g. Each employee shall select their vacation weeks-from a master calendar that will be available in the department/clinical unit for vacation scheduling on October 1 and February 1. Accompanying the calendar will be a current seniority list and the number of FTEs allowed off by shift in each given week. When it is an employee's turn to select vacation, that employee will be given no more than twenty-four (24) hours to make their selection. If an employee is on vacation during the period of vacation selection, that employee must leave a contact number for the purpose of receiving a call to schedule. A calendar of selected and available PTO shall be maintained within each department/clinical unit. 

  • First Selection: The manager or their designee will contact each employee, starting with the most senior to select their vacation week, either in person or electronically. In the first selection, they will select one (1) week. Their selection may be for a prime or non-prime week. This process will continue in order of seniority until all employees have selected one (1) week. Once an employee elects time during this first round, that employee may not bump another employee out of a vacation slot on subsequent selections.
  • Subsequent Selections: The manager or their designee will contact each employee, starting with the most senior to select their vacation week, either in person or electronically. Employees will select one (1) week, which may be from prime or non-prime weeks that are available. This process will continue in order of seniority until all employees have selected one (1) week. 

j. Each employee shall be guaranteed at least one (1) week of PTO, per Subsection g. 1., between June 1 and September 15. If there are additional weeks after a week in that time period has been approved for each employee, the remaining weeks shall be offered to employees in the department in order of seniority. 

k. The following time periods shall be considered "prime" vacation time: President's Day Week, the week prior to Easter, the week following Easter, Independence Day week, Thanksgiving week, and Christmas week. Employees in a department/clinical unit may select vacation time for these weeks on a rotating basis within the department/clinical unit based on seniority. The senior employee on the list may opt to select one (1) week during "prime" time during the first selection process beginning with the most senior employee.

Membership Meetings 2026:

  • Meetings will be held at CWA Local 1133, all meetings will be at 4:30pm. 821 Elk Street, Suite A Buffalo 14210. Food will be provided.
    • March 5th, 2026
    • June 11th, 2026
    • September 3rd, 2026
    • December 3rd, 2026

Reminders & Updates:

  • The contract still needs to be proofed before going to printing/electronic. A limited amount of copies will be available upon request.
  • Please make sure you check your PTO, ESL and SLP in workforce management!!
  • Any issues from the retro checks, please request a detailed print out of your pay stub from HR. Please also call the union hall with the information.
  • 7MW is no longer a closed unit.
  • Remember you must stay ¾s of your shift for it to count as a tardy instead of a call off. If you’re an 8-hour employee, you have to work 6 hours. If you are a 12-hour employee,, you have to work 9 hours.
  • All pick up shifts; you will get the staffing incentive. Staffing incentives are $21 for RNs, $16 for Techs and $11 for Service and Clerical.
  • If there are any issues with charge/lead, preceptor, staffing incentive and shift differential, please print your pay stubs and contact the union hall.
  • Please make sure you are filling out short staffing forms.
  • If you have any questions about the union contract, please call the union hall.
  • Want to be involved? Please contact Andrea Gilmour at the union hall 716-828-1133.

ESL Buyback:

  • Common Table. Section 14.
    • An employee who has accumulated more than one hundred twenty (120) ESL days may elect to receive cash payments of fifty percent (50%) of ESL days/hours accumulated in excess of one hundred twenty (120) days. The amount of the excess will be calculated at the conclusion of the payroll year and those days/hours if any, will be paid the following February in a separate check. When the excess ESL (ESL in excess of one hundred twenty [120] days) is paid, the accumulated ESL will be reduced to one hundred twenty (120) days and the accumulation process will begin for the following year.

Community Service Committee:

  • We gave a donation to the Buffalo Animal Shelter, the Father Baker Manor Residents of the Opal Unit and also to the McAuley Residents for Christmas.

This update was brought to you by the Communications Committee:

Rebecca Aldrow, Jamie Banks, Kerri Diebold-Phillips, Kimberly Hayward, Brian Magner, Kevonna Neely, Larry Potts, Sharon Scime and Jennifer Williams.