Nurses Association completes three Long Island contracts in five days!

North Shore agreements raise the bar for labor negotiations

LONG ISLAND, May 20, 2008 – After five days of groundbreaking, around-the-clock negotiations, members of the New York State Nurses Association have approved new contracts at three North Shore/Long Island Jewish Healthcare facilities.

The contracts cover 750 registered nurses at Franklin Hospital in Valley Stream, Plainview Hospital, and Syosset Hospital.

Within 72 hours, committees of members and staff crafted agreements designed to meet the individual needs of each bargaining unit. Nurses Association staff at every level, in every program and department, worked on the ground and behind the scenes to support this effort.

The agreements continue to set the standard, with Plainview and Syosset now having among the highest RN salaries on Long Island. And for the first time ever, Franklin nurses were able to win a pension. Staffing concerns were addressed and monetary benefits were improved for retirees in all three contracts.

By approving the contract in overwhelming numbers, members recognized the Nurses Association’s dedication to meeting their needs as professionals.

Rival labor union 1199/SEIU had also been aggressively targeting the three facilities. Even while negotiations and voting were taking place, its representatives were trying to get nurses to sign petitions to decertify the Nurses Association.

“I’m very proud of what the Nurses Association members and staff and were able to accomplish with the support of our members at North Shore this past week,” said Lorraine Seidel, RN, director of the Nurses Association collective bargaining program. “These victories exemplify the best of a true staff/member partnership. This effort really put our motto of ‘Whatever it Takes for as Long as it Takes’ into action.

With more than 36,000 members, the New York State Nurses Association is the nation's oldest and largest state nurses’ association. NYSNA fosters high standards of nursing education, research, and practice; engages in legislative activity; and provides collective bargaining services to registered nurses. Its mission is to advance the profession of nursing and protect the public's health.

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