Hospital workers strike over staffing shortages in upstate New York

Nearly 2,000 nurses and other hospital workers at Mercy Hospital in Buffalo, New York, walked off the job on Friday, saying an ongoing staffing crisis is making it impossible to provide patients with adequate care. 

Poor working conditions at the hospital are jeopardizing patient safety, a problem worsened by the recent surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the Delta variant, according to Communications Workers of America, the union representing workers.

"It's our life's mission to give our friends, family and neighbors the care and support they deserve, and walking off the job is now the only option to force Catholic Health to listen," Linda Bain, a registered nurse, said in an emailed statement issued by the CWA.