CWA 1133 Communications Vital Signs

August 2026 Vital Signs

Floating for Mercy STC:

MHB STC: Article 6 Floating, Resourcing and Downstaffing: 

Section 1. The Employer/Hospital and the Union recognize the need for a system to temporarily downsize the staff if the census/workload drops in a unit/department where members covered by this Agreement are employed. If it becomes necessary to temporarily reduce the number of employees in a particular department or unit, the reduction will be completed as follows: 

A. Floating: The Employer/Hospital will establish appropriate float pools for each shift to provide coverage for nursing units. The following floating procedures are applicable: 

1. LPNs will float within medical/surgical units and MNF. 
2. Nurse Assistants and Immediate Treatment Assistants will float to any nursing unit. 
3. Unit Clerks may float to any unit except the Emergency Department. 
4. In MNF, LPNs may be required to take Charge. 
5. Employees who must float may be assigned to a clinical unit/department for less than an entire shift. An employee may be floated once during their scheduled shift. Employees may be returned to their “home” unit to complete their shift; which, will not be considered a second float. 
6. The Employer/Hospital shall provide for adequate coverage for the home unit prior to assigning an employee to float. 
7. Employees shall be assigned to float on a rotating basis if there are no volunteers. 
8. An employee shall not be required to accept an assignment that would require that employee to perform work they have not been oriented to or approved to perform or for which they are not credentialed. 
9. It is understood that if floating is required, it will be done as follows: 
   1. Agency employees assigned to the unit shall float first. 
   2. Any float pool employee assigned to the unit that shift shall float second. 
   3. Any employees who volunteer for and are scheduled for an extra shift will float next. 
   4. Any per diem employee assigned to the unit shall float next. 
   5. A list of regular employees assigned to a unit shall be developed in inverse order of seniority. 
   6. The least senior employee will float first, with subsequent floating being assigned until all employees in that job classification have been floated. 
   7. If an employee volunteers to float, it shall be credited to that employee, and they shall not be required to float when the duty rotates to them. 
   8. Staff who float will work to their level of competence. It is understood that an employee will not be given the sole accountability for a patient and/or assignment if floated to a unit which is outside of their area of practice. 

10. Preceptees will not be floated unless their preceptor is floated and the preceptee is floated with the preceptor.

Update On Medication Error Reporting- Kenmore:

We are writing to make you aware of the alarming increase in the number of investigations due to medication errors. The pharmacy is doing continual checks for undocumented controlled substances and reports are going to the Bureau of Narcotics and the NYS Office of Professional Discipline. One time errors are being disciplined and reported. The majority of them are from improper waste or documentation. Remember, if you’re removing something from the pyxis and it needs to be counted, it MUST be wasted within the policy time frames if not given. Examples are, if the patient refuses, medication drops on the floor, emergency pulls and not used, etc. If your medication has been given, always ensure the documentation has been fully completed, scanned and marked as administered, and the pain assessments (pre/post) have been done. We recommend making a note in the chart if there is a controlled substance that has been given at the end of your shift and you won’t be the one doing the post pain assessment, and always remember to report off to the next shift it has been given. We all know how busy and hectic things can get, but you need to ensure your license is safe from error reporting. Again, if counted, MUST be wasted!

Grievance Procedure:

Common Table, Article 9- Grievance Procedure: 

Section 3. Provided an employee has first attempted to resolve a scheduling issue directly with their immediate supervisor and there has been no resolution within seventy-two (72) hours, a grievance related to a scheduling issue shall be initiated in writing and submitted directly at Step 2 within ten (10) calendar days after the posting of the schedule at issue. A Step 2 meeting will be held, and the Employers/Hospitals will provide the written Step 2. answer within five (5) business days of receipt of the written grievance, subject to Sections 10 and 17 below. 

Please refer to your contract for Sections 10 and 17

Solidarity in Motion:

• Beth Holmwood is joining the mobilizing team: 
  • Beth has been at Mercy for 15 years. 8 of them she has been in the ER as an ITA. When she is not at work, she likes to read. She has 2 dogs at home. A husky named Kia and a Pitbull named Diesel. She is currently in school at Trocaire to be an x-ray tech. 
• Please check your bulletin boards for the QR code to review the contract. 
• Any questions please contact Andrea or Jen at the union hall. 

Use your voice to make the change!

In Solidarity, Andrea Gilmour and M. J. Liberti Bemis.

“Alone we are weak, together we are strong.” #1U

Nomination & Election Info:

A message from the Election Committee: 

Nominations for the office of President, Vice President, Secretary- Treasurer and Executive Board Members for Local 1133 will take place on September 9th, 2026, from 8am- 4pm. You can nominate by phone 716-828-1133 or in person at the union hall 821 Elk St Buffalo, NY 14210. A member in good standing (actively paying dues) may nominate another member in good standing. Any member in good standing may nominate themselves. 

The election of President, Vice President, Secretary Treasurer, and Executive Board Members of Local 1133 will take place on October 13th, 2026, from 6am-6pm. The election will be done electronically through ElectionBuddy. Please make sure that you have updated your personal email. If not, you can email it to Rebecca at [email protected] or call the hall and ask to speak with Rebecca. We cannot use Catholic Health emails.

Reminders & Updates:

• The contract books are currently being printed. Once we have them, we will set up dates and times to come to all sites for distribution. 
• Do you have your keychain? If so, the new contract is on them. If not, we have ordered them and we will pick a date to bring them to you. 
• Please make sure you are filling out your 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.

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.