NYSNA Update: March 21, 2025
Oneida Nurses Hold Informational Picket for a Fair Contract
On Wednesday, March 19, NYSNA nurses at Oneida Health Hospital held an informational picket to demand that management negotiate in good faith and settle a fair contract with safe staffing and a real plan to retain nurses for safe patient care. Nurses have been working without a contract since Feb. 28 but are actively organizing to make their voices heard. Historically, Oneida nurses are some of the lowest paid in the region, and NYSNA nurses know that to attract qualified, experienced nurses, their new contract must include a respectful wage. On Feb. 12, nurses delivered an unfair labor practice charge to management due to its refusal to meet in person to bargain a fair contract. And earlier this year, nurses marched to the office of CEO Felissa Koernig to demand management come back to the table and held a speak-out calling attention to safe staffing issues.
For months, NYSNA nurses at Oneida have been fighting for a contract with clear, enforceable safe staffing standards to comply with New York state law and wages and benefits that will keep nurses at the bedside and help them provide the safe, quality patient care the community deserves. They held the informational picket to demand that hospital administrators meet their demands. Central New York Area Labor Federation members, Central New York Labor Council members, and 1199SEIU members joined NYSNA nurses in solidarity. Spectrum News, WKTV News Channel 2, and ABC News Channel 9 covered the informational picket.
Nurses are asking the community to send a message to Oneida Health President and CEO Felissa Koernig, JD, MBA, FACHE to demand that she negotiate the fair contract that Oneida nurses and patients deserve! Add your voice in solidarity with Oneida nurses here.
Garnet Health Nurses Reach Tentative Agreement
On Monday, March 17, NYSNA nurses at Garnet Health Medical Center reached a tentative agreement with management for a new contract! The contract includes 22% wage increases throughout the life of the contract, maintenance of the NYSNA benefit fund, and improved safe staffing standards. Nurses won this contract without takeaways or givebacks. This tentative agreement comes not long after nurses delivered a petition to management that a super majority of members signed in support of a fair contract. When we fight, we win! Nurses are voting to ratify their contract today.
Wynn Hospital Nurses Reach Tentative Agreement
On Wednesday, March 19, NYSNA nurses and Wynn Hospital management reached a tentative agreement for a new successor contract! The contract includes across-the-board wage increases, a reduction in health insurance costs, improved staffing and floating language, and more.
The ratification vote and membership meetings to learn the full details of the tentative agreement will take place on Wednesday, March 26. Congratulations Wynn nurses on this tentative victory that took months of organizing, bargaining, and fighting for well-deserved improvements to wages and benefits.