Hundreds of health care workers from CWA Locals 1122, 1133, and 1168 came out in force last Wednesday in Buffalo, N.Y., to demand improved working conditions, better staffing, fair wages, and more at Mercy, St. Joseph’s, and Kenmore Mercy hospitals.

This action was organized ahead of the current contract’s expiration on September 30 to raise concerns about low staffing at all three of the Catholic Health hospitals, stagnant wages, and unsafe working conditions. Members of other unions, elected officials, and mayoral candidates also joined the picket in solidarity with our healthcare heroes.

The Buffalo News published CWA Local 1168 member Heather Lawrence’s editorial outlining what’s at stake earlier this week. Check it out here.

Health care workers participate in an information picket outside Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, N.Y.

Last Thursday, Denver Health Workers United/CWA Local 7799 members joined faith and labor leaders to publicly pray for racial justice at Denver Health.

This event was organized in response to growing concerns about racial injustice at the health system. Systemic discrimination against African American employees in disciplinary and termination decisions, forcing a captive audience meeting on Black and Latinx custodial workers discouraging them from forming a union, and retaliation against employees who raised concerns about pandemic safety and systemic racism, are just a few of the examples of racial injustice the workers and community leaders are fighting against.

The public prayer called on the Denver Health and Hospital Authority’s Board of Directors to enact three pillars of change: honestly reckoning with racial injustice, accepting community accountability, and respecting workers rights.

Faith leaders and Denver Health Workers United/CWA Local 7799 members come together to offer a public prayer for racial justice at Denver Health.

CWA Local 7026 Secretary-Treasurer Cecilia Valdez (right) with AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler at the Phoenix, Ariz., “Rally for Voting Rights” event.

CWAers joined thousands of activists in cities across the country to demand federal voting rights protections on Saturday, the 58th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s historic March on Washington. The rallies were part of an ongoing nationwide effort to fight against a wave of discriminatory and restrictive state laws threatening access to voting.

Senators must make protecting voting rights the top priority when they return from recess next week. We will continue to mobilize to put pressure on the Senate to enact critical pieces of legislation to ensure voting rights protections.