**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, FEB. 1 AT 3:30 PM**
NORTHWELL NURSES AND HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TO ANNOUNCE RESULTS OF STRIKE AUTHORIZATION VOTE
Healthcare Professionals at Northwell Long Island Jewish Valley Stream and Peconic Medical Center Voting to Authorize a Strike
More than 700 Nurses and Healthcare Professionals at Long Island Northwell Facilities to Speak Out for a Fair Contract
Contact: Anna Sterling | anna.sterling@nysna.org | 646-673-0419
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
Long Island, N.Y.— Nurses and healthcare professionals at Northwell Long Island Jewish Valley Stream (LIJ Valley Stream) and Peconic Bay Medical Center (Peconic) are voting to authorize a strike. Voting concludes at 3 p.m. on Feb. 1 and the results will be announced directly after the vote at 3:30 p.m. in front of both LIJ Valley Stream and Peconic facilities.
Nurses and healthcare professionals at both Northwell facilities will speak out about current conditions and why they voted to authorize a strike. Workers will be available to speak to the media.
WHO: Nurses and healthcare professionals of the New York State Nurses Association, community allies and elected officials including Long Island Jobs with Justice Executive Director, Ani Halasz, Long Island Federation of Labor Political Director Imran Ansari, State Senator Kevin Thomas, Assemblymember Taylor Darling, Nassau County Legislator Carrie Solages and New York Communities for Change.
WHAT: Speak-out for a Fair Contract with Safe Staffing and Respect to Prevent a Nurse and Healthcare Professionals Strike
WHERE:
Peconic Bay Medical Center
1 Heroes Wy, Riverhead, NY 11901
Long Island Jewish Valley Stream
900 Franklin Ave, Valley Stream, NY 11580
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 1 at 3:30 p.m.
The two facilities are demanding Northwell agree to fair contracts that prioritize safe staffing and fair wages and benefits to help recruit and retain nurses. Peconic healthcare professionals stands out as the lowest-paid on Long Island. The low starting rate makes recruiting and retaining enough nurses and healthcare professionals a challenge and has led to high turnover and understaffing.
At LIJ Valley Stream, unsafe staffing ratios threaten the quality of patient care. While other Northwell facilities maintain a ratio in their medical-surgical departments of 1 nurse to 6 patients in their contracts, LIJ Valley Stream nurses have a ratio of 1 nurse to 8 patients. Nurses at LIJVS are demanding improved staffing ratios in their contracts to enhance patient care and attract and retain new nursing talent.
Other Northwell facilities in Long Island and New York City have agreed to respectful wage increases and improvements in benefits for their nurses and healthcare professionals. LIJ Valley Stream and Peconic are asking their management for the same respect with fair contracts that will improve the quality of patient care for the community.
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The New York State Nurses Association represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, the country's largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members nationwide.
