CWA Local 1168 Temporary Administration - Update #5

*IMPORTANT* Membership Meeting

You may have received an email or text that there would be a general membership meeting on Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 6:30 pm at the Union office. The Fall Membership Meeting has been rescheduled as a Town Hall Call. The details are as follows:

Town Hall Call
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
6:30 to 8:00 pm
Dial In Number: 1-855-840-6970

If we have a home phone or cell phone number for you, a call will be placed to that number at 6:30 pm. You only need to dial in if we do not have your number. If you would like to get a number on file at the Union office, please call 716-639-1168 and one of our Administrative Assistants can help you!
 

Dependent Audit

Last week Kaleida Health provided CWA with a list of members (approx. 110) that have not responded or completed their Dependent eligibility audit for Health Insurance.

The Chief Stewards and Union Representatives have taken significant time to text/call and follow-up with members directly as a reminder. Various circumstances were cited from those who did respond to us, including but not limited to Leaves , DBLs, Workmans Comp, Illness etc.

Please contact Kaleida Corporate Benefits prior to August 31, 2026 at the email below.

Lack of response to Kaleida may impact your dependent coverage and needs immediate attention.

Contact ASAP via Email: Kaleidabenefitsenrollment@kaleidahealth.org
 

Sitter Cases

"In 2024, the implementation of tele-sitters at the BGMC campus led to Kaleida Health being cited by the Department of Health for immediate jeopardy. An immediate jeopardy finding signifies a serious violation of safety regulations that could result in severe harm or death to patients. This is the most severe level of violation in healthcare regulations, requiring an immediate fix to eliminate the danger and implement a rapid removal plan. Failure to address the issue within 23 days could result in the hospital losing its federal Medicare and Medicaid certification, putting it at risk of closure.

Kaleida Health submitted a plan of correction, which was accepted by the DOH and is currently being monitored for compliance. The corrective measures included designating specific job titles for staff who sit with patients and ensuring that all staff in these roles undergo training and maintain accurate documentation. The hospital policy regarding sitter cases was updated to reflect these changes, with Hospital Policy #TX.1 outlining the responsibilities of individuals assigned to sitter roles. Moving forward, only personnel from the department of nursing, providers, and ancillary patient care staff will be assigned to sitter roles.

Discussions are underway between Kaleida Health and the DOH regarding the potential involvement of Mental Health Aides from the ALC unit in sitter cases. Further updates will be provided once a decision is reached.
 

Long-Term Care Facility Sale

On Wednesday, August 12, 2026, union leadership met with Kaleida Health administration to discuss long-term care. We requested that the topic of long-term care and the potential sale of these facilities be included as a standing agenda item for future meetings. Unfortunately, Kaleida did not provide new information during the meeting. We emphasized the importance of receiving a response to our information request, which they have yet to fulfill. Additionally, we stressed the need to identify potential buyers so that we can conduct due diligence and effectively represent our members and the community.

We appreciate Kaleida's openness regarding their exploration of a potential sale of the long-term care facilities. However, we expect them to continue to share information about potential buyers with their staff. We will be re-requesting this information and giving them a one-week deadline. If they do not comply, we are prepared to consider filing charges with the labor board against Kaleida Health.

Furthermore, we requested a meeting to begin negotiations on an agreement that would address the potential sale of the long-term care facilities, ensuring we are fully prepared if this situation arises.