NYSNA Update: March 14, 2025
Victory: Northwell/South Shore Nurses Reach Tentative Agreement!
After months of bargaining, speaking out and preparing to strike if necessary, NYSNA nurses at Northwell/South Shore University Hospital reached a tentative contract agreement on March 11 after bargaining through the night, averting a looming March 17 strike! The tentative agreement includes improvements to safe staffing standards — a priority for nurses — as well as respectful wage increases. South Shore nurses are also breaking new ground! This is the first nurses’ contract in New York state that specifically allows nurses to review and make recommendations prior to and during the implementation of any artificial intelligence technology that could potentially impact nurses. News12 Long Island, Newsday and Crain’s Health covered the tentative agreement. Members began voting on whether to ratify the contract on Thursday, March 13, and will end voting today.
But Long Island nurses are not done yet. Nurses at Northwell/Huntington Hospital and Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital, some of NYSNA’s newest members, are also in active bargaining. Nurses from both facilities attended a Labor Education training on how to prepare for, take and keep control of meetings with management at Long Island’s interregional meeting on Wednesday, March 12. The more than 2,500 NYSNA nurses at the three Long Island hospitals are united and ready to support each other to win quality care for all Long Island patients.
Hundreds of NYSNA Nurses Attend Lobby Day to Advocate for Nurses and Patients
On Tuesday, March 11, NYSNA showed up and showed out in Albany at our 2025 Lobby Day! Over 500 NYSNA members met with more than 100 state legislators to urge them to support nurses and patients in the state budget in the face of devastating federal cuts to Medicaid and national attacks on healthcare. Nurses also called on legislators to invest in quality care for all New Yorkers and sounded the alarm on the continued staffing crisis that puts patient care at risk.
President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN; Executive Director Pat Kane, RN; and board members from across the state led a rally and press conference in the Capitol. State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Chair of the Senate Health Committee Gustavo Rivera, and dozens of state legislators and our allies at 1199SEIU joined NYSNA nurses to call for a state budget that prioritizes safe staffing in every hospital and nursing home, invests in nurse recruitment and retention programs, defends quality patient care and professional standards of nursing practice, and more.
Check out press coverage that day from NBC 18, Spectrum, and CBS News 8.
In their discussions with elected officials, NYSNA nurses shared the most pressing threats to nursing and patient care today and offered solutions. They shared their experiences of enforcement of the safe staffing law which was enacted in 2021 and demanded greater accountability for bad actors. They highlighted Albany Medical Center, which received a deficiency report from the Department of Health with a historic 500-plus violations of the staffing law, and the hospital’s continued failure to safely staff. They spoke about strengthening the nursing pipeline, standing firmly against the closure of vital maternal and mental health services, and defending nursing practice standards.
Thank you to all our members who joined us from all over New York in a powerful day of advocacy. Check out a photo album from our Lobby Day here.
Oneida Nurses March on the Boss, Gear Up for Info Picket
For months, Oneida Health Hospital nurses have been fighting for a fair contract with enforceable staffing standards, a plan to retain experienced nurses, and respectful wages and benefits. Historically, nurses at Oneida Health have been some of the lowest paid in the region, and nurses are fighting for a fair contract that will help them recruit and retain qualified nurses and attract more nurses from their own community. This week, they attempted to visit Oneida Health Hospital board members and ran into Oneida Mayor Rick Rossi! They spoke with him about the issues nurses are facing at their facility to earn his support in adding pressure on management to bargain a fair contract. Nurses also marched on the boss on Friday, March 7, to deliver an informational picket notice to management. Their informational picket will take place on Wednesday, March 19. Go Oneida nurses!