(WIVB) – As the CWA strike at Mercy Hospital enters its second week, Catholic Health is releasing the details of its last offer presented to the union.
If agreed upon. the package would cover more than 2,500 employees represented by the union at Kenmore Mercy Hospital, Mercy Hospital of Buffalo, and Sisters of Charity Hospital, St. Joseph Campus.
According to Catholic Health, under the offer, all employees would make at least $15 an hour. Some employees would see pay increases of up to 25 percent in the first year.
Registered nurses would see an average increase of 4.3 percent in the first year, and service, technical and clerical workers would see average increases of nine percent in the first year.
The proposal also calls for adding 250 new position, increasing staffing levels to meet the agreed-upon ratios, and mandates staffing for 10 percent above the average daily number of patients. If the staffing goals aren’t met, employees will receive bonus pay.
“Catholic Health is ready to welcome Mercy Hospital associates back to work. We want them back. And we believe they are eager to come back,” Catholic Health public relations director JoAnn Cavanaugh said. “They are the heart and soul of the hospital. We also want to settle these negotiations for our associates at Kenmore Mercy Hospital and Sisters of Charity Hospital, St. Joseph Campus.
News 4 has reached out to CWA for comment.
Kaley Lynch is a digital reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2016. See more of her work here.