VNA Ratifies "No Concessions" Contract

In April 2024, CWA Local 1122 members at the Visiting Nurses Association (VNA) of Western New York ratified a tentative agreement covering over 600 CWA members working at the VNA, including nurses, therapists, social workers, pharmacists, clerical staff, warehouse techs, and delivery drivers.

The bargaining took several months of negotiation and involved some unique challenges. VNA members are spread across several counties, so hosting in-person meetings and keeping communication flowing required ingenuity and determination on the part of organizers and workers.

Despite the logistical headaches, CWA Local 1122’s mobilization team, known as “The Red Dragons,” mobilized successfully throughout the negotiation, showing continued support for their members with rallies at several VNA branch offices.

The tentative agreement included historic wage increases, constituting the highest contractual wage increases for the unit since the healthcare workers joined CWA 45 years ago. The no-concessions contract also added progressive language concerning work-from-home, paid time off, staff scheduling, work-life balance, and healthcare benefits.

Members have expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by organizer Dan Lukasiewicz and co-mobilizer Tori Henley.

Yet again, members have proven our slogan to be true: “When we fight, we win!”