CWA members ratify contracts; Mercy Hospital workers to return Wednesday

BUFFALO -- About 2,500 union workers at Catholic Health System have ratified new four-year contract agreements, officially ending one of the most significant labor disputes in recent Western New York history and opening the door for about 2,000 of those employees to return to Mercy Hospital this week.

Just after 9 p.m. Monday, Communications Workers of America said Local 1133 and Local 1168 members voted to approve the deal by a wide margin: 94% voted "yes," while the remaining 6% voted "no."

With the contracts ratified, the 2,000 workers who were on strike for 35 days before a tentative agreement was reached late Thursday will start returning to Mercy Hospital in South Buffalo on Wednesday.

"The agreement we've reached with Catholic Health, now overwhelmingly ratified by our members, is going to allow Catholic Health to attract and retain the staff they need, provide the good wages and benefits our health care heroes deserve and usher in a new level of care and safety for patients," CWA Area Director Debora Hayes said in a statement.

Read more: https://buffalonews.com/business/local/cwa-members-ratify-contracts-mercy-hospital-workers-to-return-wednesday/article_4a6fdc3c-40a4-11ec-a18e-13215808301a.html