UNIONS DISCUSS STRIKE PREPARATIONS
BARGAINING
After taking a week for the strike authorization vote and then pausing last week for the DNV visit, the joint CWA & 1199SEIU Bargaining Committee is back at the table with Kaleida this week. The Bargaining Committee will be spending long hours at the bargaining table and working hard to reach an agreement to avoid a strike. We have not yet given the hospital a Ten-Day Notice to Strike, and plan to fully exhaust the bargaining process before any action is taken. A ten-day notice would give Kaleida time to set up a plan to provide for our patients.
UNION STRIKE FUND FORMS
As part of our strike preparation, we want everyone to start getting their personal forms and documents ready to access the unions’ Member Relief Funds (aka Strike Funds). Each union has its own system for managing and distributing funds to members on strike so Mobilizers from each union will be discussing logistics with their memberships, but EVERYONE will need to fill out a strike form from their Union.
STRIKE PREP – WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU!
While the Bargaining Committee is continuing to negotiate and working to avoid a strike, we want to make sure that the membership is prepped and ready to go. CWA and 1199 Mobilization Teams are setting up Strike Committees as we speak – again, we don’t want to go on strike, but we also want to make sure that we’re prepared and ready to hit the ground running if the time comes. Please take a look through the committee descriptions below and SIGN UP for one!
Picketing Committee
This is the biggest committee with the most help required! Organizing all aspects of the pickets at the worksites, including scheduling members for shifts and roles on the picket line. Coordinating supplies (ie: signs, water, food, coffee) and interfacing with picket leads will also be required.
Member Relief Fund
Members will be coordinating CWA and 1199SEIU relief fund payments to strikers, as well as all healthcare coverage issues.
Community Service
Members will work with community organizations to help get our members aid during the strike. (e.g. United Way, food banks, churches, etc.)
Allies/Political Committee
Members will be tasked with maintaining public support for the strike. We will be working with elected officials, faith leadership, and neighborhood organizations with the goal of continued community pressure on Kaleida’s CEO and Board of Directors.
Unemployment Committee
Members will work with the NYS Department of Labor to support members filing unemployment claims. Assisting members through technology, and paperwork will be a large part of this committee’s objective.
Media / Social Media Committee
Members will be telling our stories to the press and through social media about working conditions at our facilities. This will ensure that our message is prominent in the media, including TV, radio, newspaper and social media. We need members willing to be trained in speaking to the media. Additional needs include: photography / videography and social media gurus!
We’re going to need all hands on deck to get our 6,300 members ready to strike if necessary, so hit the sign up buttons below!
CWA Sign Up Link HERE
