This week, nurses at Albany Medical Center held a press conference to update the community on the status of safe staffing and negotiations for a nurse contract at the hospital. The press conference came the morning after their existing contract expired, leaving nurses without a fair contract and the capital region without a solution to the staffing crisis at the area's only level one trauma center. Nurses have now called for a mediator, after the parties were still far from reaching an agreement on a new contract before the July 31 contract expiration. The administration at Albany Med has yet to agree to mediation.

Nurses are firm on their demands for safe staffing and a concrete plan to recruit and retain experienced nurses. Over the past few months, nurses have continually sounded the alarm on the impact of unsafe staffing levels on patient care at the hospital. Albany Med has the highest ER visit times in New York state and nurses say that’s largely because hospital management isn’t doing what it takes to hire and retain enough qualified nurses at the bedside. Despite working with NYSNA nurses to create a safe staffing plan, hospital administrators refuse to include the plan in the contract and to make it enforceable. The hospital also refused to meet the bargaining committee's demands around nurse pay and the inclusion of union rights in the contract.

Albany Medical Center infectious disease nurse and NYSNA member Tonia Bazel, RN said, "Our contract expired last night at midnight. It became clear to us yesterday afternoon that Albany Med administrators were not serious about addressing the staffing and retention crisis. Negotiations broke down because we were too far apart on the issues that matter most—enforceable safe staffing, fair pay to hire and retain nurses, and respect. I have seen the impact of unsafe staffing throughout the hospital. My friends and family members have experienced it as patients. Our patients and community deserve quality care with enough nurses at the bedside. That is our bottom line."

The press conference garnered media coverage, including WNYT 13, CBS 6, and the Times Union. 

In closing the press conference, nurses announced that they have delivered a notice for informational picketing at the hospital on August 20th. Despite the hospital administration's refusal to budge on several topline priorities, the executive and bargaining committees at Albany Medical Center remain committed to the fight for a fair contract and safe, quality patient care in the capital region. Frontline nurses know that patients suffer when a hospital is not safely staffed—the nurses at Albany Med need a fair contract with safe staffing now!