Local 1133 and 1168 Members at Catholic Health Ratify New Contract, Averting a Strike

Earlier this month over 2,800 CWA members voted to ratify a contract with Catholic Health System, a healthcare provider serving predominantly Western New York State.

In a joint statement from CWA District 1 Vice President Dennis Trainor, CWA Area Director Debora Hayes, CWA Local 1133 President Brian Magner, and CWA 1168 President Cori Gambini, the group writes, “After months of tough negotiations, we are extraordinarily proud to have ratified a strong new contract with Catholic Health System. Our members, including frontline nurses, technical, service, and clerical workers at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, Kenmore Mercy Hospital, and Sisters of Charity Hospital-St. Joseph Campus, devote their lives to the Buffalo community, and this contract is a testament to their dedication not just to improving their working conditions but also to improving patient care.”

Understaffing was a central issue for members, potentially impacting their ability to ensure high-quality patient care. The new contract addresses that concern with new staffing contract enforcement language as well as pay scale increases, a 3% raise for each year of the contract, and increases in bonuses provided to employees who work additional shifts.

The contract ratification comes after members at Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital voted to authorize a strike, harkening back to a historic 40-day strike in 2021. “We are both pleased and relieved,” reads the joint statement, “that the negotiations did not come to that eventuality. We salute the determination and fighting spirit of our members, whose strong mobilization, bargaining power, and commitment to this community have yielded a contract that will strengthen quality healthcare for patients, workers, and the Buffalo community.”