CWA + 1199SEIU United

What We're Fighting For

The 6,300 Kaleida Health workers in Buffalo, NY - members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1168 and 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East (1199SEIU) - are fighting for a new contract that will address safe staffing levels, increase job security, fair wages, and guarantee dignity and respect on the job.

The current three-year contract expires on May 31, 2022, and covers Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Dietary Workers, Personal Care Attendants, Professionals, Technicians, Service & Maintenance Workers, Clerical Workers and many more job titles. Workers are located at three major hospitals, two nursing homes, and clinics across Western New York.

We're fighting for:

  1. Dignity & Respect
  2. Safe Staffing
  3. Job Security
  4. Fair Wages
  5. No Concessions

Learn more!

1199SEIU

1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East represents over 400,000 nurses and caregivers throughout Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Florida.

CWA Local 1168

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.

Get Updates About the CWA + 1199SEIU Contract Negotiations with Kaleida Health

Stay up to date on the latest news, info, and action alerts on the campaign!

Our Members

The current three-year contract expires on May 31, 2022, and covers 6,300 Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Dietary Workers, Personal Care Attendants, Professionals, Technicians, Service & Maintenance Workers, Clerical Workers and many more job titles. Workers are located at three major hospitals, two nursing homes, and clinics across Western New York, including:

  • Buffalo General Medical Center
  • Oishei Children’s Hospital
  • Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital
  • HighPointe on Michigan
  • DeGraff Medical Park
  • Various clinics.

Staffing is at critical levels, with more than 1,000 vacancies across Kaleida Health hospitals and nursing homes.

Media Roundup

Buffalo Next: What to know about the week ahead
Buffalo News
May 22, 2022

'Significant progress': Kaleida, unions agree to 30-day contract extension
Buffalo News
May 19, 2022

Kaleida and unions focus on staffing, salaries and standards
Buffalo Business First
March 22, 2022

Mercy Hospital strike looms, as Kaleida and its unions begin contract talks
WBFO NPR
March 17, 2022

Healthcare workers unions kick off contract negotiations with Kaleida Health
WBEN 930AM 
March 17, 2022

Bargaining Updates - May 18; Contract Extension

1199SEIU and CWA have been bargaining for two months now and we have made quite a bit of progress. Despite our best efforts, it is clear that we will not have a new contract negotiated by May 31, 2022 when our current contract expires.

Therefore, on May 12, 2022 the Unions and Kaleida Health agreed to extend the contract for a thirty-day period. The language of the extension is as follows:

“This Agreement, dated May 12, 2022 is entered into by Kaleida Health (Employer), the Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO (CWA) and 1199SEIU Healthcare Workers East ( SEIU); all signatories to a collective bargaining agreement (Master Agreement) with an expiration date of May 31, 2022.

"The parties listed above are currently engaged in good faith contract negotiations, with the assistance of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), for a successor agreement to the Master Agreement and hereby mutually agree to continue the terms of the current Master Agreement until 11:59 pm on June 30, 2022.”

As always, we will keep you posted on our progress.