(ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK) – The firing of a Union Advocate at the recently-Unionized Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center has drawn the ire of the Western New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation (WNYALF), which has put out a call to its affiliated Member Unions to participate in a rally later this week in support of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) Local 1168 Member, Mary Nowicki.

Nowicki, who’s described as a leader who amplified the voice of Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center Employees and has worked for her employer since 2019, was fired on February 24th for her Union activity, CWA Officials charge.  And, they add, Nowicki had never been disciplined or had any complaints against her until CWA was certified as the Employees’ Union Representative and she became a Union Advocate. 

“I’m ‘furious.’  ‘This is nothing more than a retaliation firing’ (for Unionizing).  ‘And this is nothing more than an employer overstepping the law.’  ‘We cannot allow this to continue.’   ‘This is why there is a real need for Federal action when it comes to recognizing Workers’ Rights,’” said WNYALF President Peter DeJesus, who delivered his comments to WNYLaborToday.com in a very emotional and angry tone.

Asked whether he anticipated a great turnout of local Unionists for the rally that’s scheduled to take place on Friday (March 3rd) at 5 p.m. in front of the Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center at 3930 North Buffalo Street in Orchard Park, DeJesus said: “For the past two years, (the Western New York Labor Movement has) ‘built on our solidarity - that the struggle for one is one for all.’  ‘It’s not that we want to do these things, but when yet another employer does not adhere to the law of the land, we have to stand up.’”

In July, 140 Employees of the Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center voted to Unionize with CWA Local 1168 (Go To: 140 Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center Workers Vote To ‘Go Union’ With CWA Local 1168, ‘Become The First’ Veterinary Center In The Buffalo Area To Unionize - WNY Labor Today: Your On-Line Labor Newspaper, Bringing You Labor News From Across The Nation, New York State & Western New York).

The Workers voted in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)-certified election by a strong margin of 64-to-51 (with seven non-determinative challenge ballots cast).

The group of Workers - including Vet Techs, Vet Assistants, Laboratory Assistants, Pharmacy Assistants & Technicians, Accounting Clerks, Administrative Assistants, Client Service Reps, Surgical Assistants and Housekeeping, began their Organizing Drive in early 2022 after contacting Local 1168 with concerns about their working conditions.

Like many in the health care field, Orchard Park Vet Workers have been forced to deal with alarmingly low staffing levels and high rates of Staff turnover, creating serious barriers to their ability to provide adequate care for their animal patients.

Orchard Park Vet Workers also rallied around issues of equal treatment for all Employees, stronger job protections, bonuses to help retain Staff, and having a voice on the job to help strengthen their workplace. 

During the Organizing Drive, Nowicki told WNYLaborToday.com: “We ‘need better staffing and (Employee) retention.’  We serve as the ‘central hub of vet care.’  We provide things like anesthesia and chemotherapy (for their animal patients).  We’re ‘like’ RNs (Registered Nurses, but we also) clean teeth and give chemo, perform CPR and take orthopedic x-rays.’  ‘Now we can have more of a voice (in their workplace) and we (the center’s Employees) have more power that we realize.’  ‘We need this.’  ‘We don’t get the recognition.’”

After the final vote count, the new Union-represented Workers at the Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center were “very happy” to be part of the CWA and were looking forward to negotiating a contract “that would make their professional lives better.”

But management at the Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center, which did not positively react to their Employees’ decision to Unionize, have not been cooperative when it comes to sitting down to negotiate a first contract with their CWA Local 11668-represented Workers.

“We’ve ‘only had seven’ bargaining sessions ‘and have yet to discuss any major’ economic issues,” Local 1168 Staff Representative Heather Lawrence tells WNYLaborToday.com.  “They ‘will only agree to bargain after work hours’ - from (6 p.m. to 9 p.m.).  ‘That’s a challenge.’”

Nowicki found herself in the middle of a controversy when, on February 15th, she administered what was described as lifesaving medication to a dog who’d eaten chocolate.

Even though she was thanked by one of the Vets at the Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center for her quick response, management fired Nowicki.

And to make the situation even worse to what CWA Local 1168 Representatives say was a “humiliation to this unjust discharge,” management marched Nowicki out the door. 

“‘I felt retaliated against,’” Nowicki told WNYLaborToday.com. “‘I was thinking as they walked me out the door that I would miss working here.’”

Local 1168 Organizer Ann Converso, who says turnover at the Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center has been at nearly 100% over the past two years with 109 Staffers leaving, was blunt and to the point, telling WNYLaborToday.com: “‘This is about them making sure there will never be a Union there and that there will never be a first contract.’”

However, that extremely high turnover rate may have had a silver lining with the current Staff, “who ‘now understand what this fight has been all about,’” she added.

On another front, CWA Local 1168 Officials have reached out to a number of Elected Officials, including New York State Assembly Members and State Senators, who’ve penned letters in support of the Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center Workers who are attempting to negotiate their first contract.  Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz has also authored a letter of support, in which he urged management to “bargain in good faith.”

CWA Local 1168 Representatives tell WNYLaborToday.com they expect Orchard Park Veterinary Medical Center management to be extremely upset over the showing of anticipated Union support that’s expected during Friday’s scheduled rally. 

“‘My assumption is that they will be freaking out,’” Converso said.