Staten Island Nurses Ratify Union Contract with Over 93% Voting to Ratify

Highlights of the contract victory include:  

• Improved safe staffing standards with stronger enforcement. The agreement adds nurse staffing on 18 units that need help and includes an expedited process for creating staffing standards in new units. For the first time, legally binding arbitration to resolve short-staffing issues was added to the contract, as was a process for determining additional staffing needs for new buildings and units as Northwell expands. Northwell will need to hire more than 100 new nurses to meet the improved safe staffing standards. 

• Historic wage increases totaling 22.12%, including annual pay increases, market adjustment pay, and experience pay, bringing SIUH nurse pay to parity with other New York City private sector hospitals 
• Improved healthcare for retired nurses through a new retiree medical program option for Northwell’s pre-and post-65 plans, and the addition of Northwell Anthem Value Plan with lifetime retiree healthcare.  
• New paid holiday for nurses: MLK Jr. Day Holiday 
• Increased employer contributions to NYSNA Health and Pension Plan per current trustee rates.  

Nurses finished their contract ratification vote on Friday evening, April 5. The new contract goes into effect immediately with wage increases retroactive to January 1, 2024. Nurses reached the deal with Northwell after bargaining through the night and into Saturday morning on March 30, averting a strike that was planned for April 2nd.  

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said, “As a Staten Island resident I am so proud of this deal that nurses won to protect care for our community. SIUH/Northwell nurses have shown once again that when nurses join together and stay united for our patients, nothing is unwinnable.” 

SIUH/Northwell nurse and NYSNA bargaining committee member Elaine Minew, RN, said, “Today, I’m walking into work with my head held high, knowing that nurses at our hospital risked everything for our patients – and won. Now that we’ve won this historic contract victory, the work of enforcing our improved safe staffing standards begins. We’re going to stay vigilant because our patients are counting on us.” 

During their contract fight, SIUH/Northwell nurses won the support of 26 major labor unions, who signed a joint solidarity letter. The letter signers, which included the Communications Workers of America, 32BJ SEIU, DC 37 and Teamsters Local 804 called on Northwell to settle a fair contract with nurses and to protect care for Staten Island. They also won the backing of 24 elected leaders who signed onto a separate letter calling on Northwell to settle a fair contract with nurses.  

On March 13, nurses held a speak-out in front of the hospital and announced that they had voted in favor of authorizing a strike by over 97 percent. The strike authorization vote came on the heels of overwhelming strike votes at other NYSNA-represented facilities, including most recently Northwell Long Island Jewish Valley Stream, Peconic Bay Medical Center, and South Shore University Hospital on Long Island. Those Northwell hospitals settled fair contracts with NYSNA nurses and averted strikes. Approximately 1,300 registered nurses work at SIUH/Northwell.