Long Island Nurses Are United for Quality Care

Long Island nurses from Northwell Health/South Shore University Hospital, Northwell Health/ Huntington Hospital and Mount Sinai South Nassau have all been fighting to win fair contracts for nurses and patients across Long Island. For nurses at two hospitals, Northwell/Huntington and Mount Sinai South Nassau, this will be their first union contract.

Corporate Care Expands on Long Island
Northwell and Mount Sinai, two of the wealthiest hospital systems in New York state, have been busy buying up smaller community hospitals and expanding their reach on Long Island and beyond. When Mount Sinai took over South Nassau hospital in 2018, it promised to turn the hospital into its “flagship” hospital on Long Island. What’s certain is that health care costs and executive pay have skyrocketed, while nurses are stretched thin. Health care costs for patients and insurers increased by 68% since Mount Sinai took over the hospital.1 Mount Sinai CEO Kenneth Davis made nearly $7.3 million in salary, bonuses and perks in 2023. A total of 10 Sinai executives and doctors made well over $1 million in 2023 in salary, bonuses and perks.2

Northwell formally took over South Shore in 2010, expanding its empire of Long Island hospitals to 12. Northwell invested hundreds of millions on building renovations and expansions, but has been less generous with nurses’ contracts. Northwell is currently focused on expanding in upstate New York and Connecticut. Regulators are likely to approve the takeover of Nuvance Health, despite concerns about likely price hikes for patients. Northwell CEO Michael Dowling made over $9 million in salary, benefits and perks in 2023.3

Long Island Nurses Are United
Nurses from Northwell/South Shore, Northwell/Huntington and Mount Sinai South Nassau are fighting back. Nurses from all three facilities are bargaining and organizing to support each other in their fight for fair contracts. At a meeting in February, they spoke about their shared issues, such as having employers who spend millions on executive salaries, marketing and building expansions while dragging their feet on accepting common-sense proposals that ensure quality patient care and the recruitment and retention of nurses on Long Island.

Long Island nurses have taken action by walking the informational picket line, marching on the boss, speaking out, reaching out to the community with petitions and lawn and small-business signs, and organizing their colleagues. Nurses at Mount Sinai South Nassau walked an informational picket line in December alongside union members and New York elected officials to demand Mount Sinai South Nassau deliver a fair contract. Northwell/Huntington nurses, who in November won their National Labor Relations Board election to join NYSNA, also hit the ground running. With a contract expiring at the end of February, Northwell/South Shore nurses started off the year by marching on the boss to deliver a petition demanding safe staffing and respect.

South Shore Fight Heats Up
As the largest private employer in New York state, it’s clear Northwell can afford to invest in its nurses and patients. But instead of negotiating a fair contract with Northwell/South Shore nurses, Northwell has been busy interfering in nurses’ federal labor law rights by engaging in retaliation, interrogation and surveillance of nurses. After months of bargaining with little progress, Northwell/South Shore nurses began voting to authorize an unfair labor practice strike.

On Wednesday, Feb. 26, two days before their contract expired, nurses at Northwell/South Shore University Hospital held a powerful speak-out with labor and community allies in front of the hospital to announce that 99% of nurses voted yes to authorize an unfair labor practice strike. On March 4, nurses dropped a strike notice.

Striking is always a last resort, but Northwell/South Shore nurses were ready to do whatever it takes to win a fair contract. After marathon bargaining sessions before the March 17 strike deadline, nurses were able to reach a tentative agreement with Northwell/South Shore that improves safe staffing, wages and benefits, and includes a provision for nurses to review any artificial intelligence technology before it’s implemented — a first for nurses’ contracts in New York state. Nurses voted by an overwhelming majority to ratify the contract.

Now the pressure is on Northwell/Huntington and Mount Sinai South Nassau hospitals to settle fair contracts with NYSNA nurses. The major corporate hospital systems should know that more than 2,500 NYSNA Long Island nurses at all three hospitals are ready to take action in solidarity with one another to ensure quality care for all Long Island patients.

Sources
1 Mount Sinai and related organizations 990 annual financial filings, 2023
2 ibid 
3 Northwell Health 990 annual financial filings, 2023