For Immediate Release
Contact: Randi Hoffman, 212.785.0157, ext. 118
BAYSHORE, Oct. 30, 2009 – The registered nurses of Southside Hospital are holding a candlelight vigil from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 2, in front of the hospital on 301 Main Street. The 600 RNs of Southside Hospital are affiliated with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). They have been working without a contract since February and have been in negotiations for nearly a year.
“We are holding this vigil to demonstrate to the community and the hospital that we are committed to maintaining safe patient-nurse ratios, flextime hours, and a cost of living increase equal to that of other RNs working in the North Shore Long Island Jewish Hospital System,” said Virginia Labrasohr, an intensive care unit RN who is the president of the bargaining unit. “It’s a matter of patient safety, and of the hospital maintaining the ability to recruit and retain the most highly skilled nurses.”
The nurses have held over 22 bargaining sessions in the past year in their attempts to secure a fair contract. On June 11, several hundred nurses picketed the hospital.
The New York State Nurses Association is the voice for nursing in the Empire State. With more than 37,000 members, it is the state's largest union and professional association for registered nurses. It supports nurses and nursing practice through education, research, legislative advocacy, and collective bargaining.
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