NYSNA Nurses at Wynn Hospital Reach Tentative Agreement
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, March 20, 2025
Contact: Andrea Penman-Lomeli | press@nysna.org | 347-559-3169
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
NYSNA NURSES AT WYNN HOSPITAL REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
After months of bargaining, NYSNA nurses at Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) - Wynn Hospital reach a tentative agreement that improves safe staffing, and wages and benefits to help recruit and retain nurses
Nurses will vote on whether to ratify the contract starting March 26
Utica, N.Y.— New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses at Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) - Wynn Hospital reached a tentative contract agreement on March 19. The agreement, which covers 650 nurses, includes stronger safe staffing enforcement, break coverage to ensure safe staffing at all times, wage increases, and reduced costs for health insurance.
This is the first tentative agreement reached since the hospital moved to its new location over a year ago, and nurses from the former MVHS-St. Elizabeth Medical Center and MVHS-Faxton St. Luke’s merged into one union – NYSNA. This new agreement includes across-the-board raises between 13.9%-21% with retro pay to Jan. 1, 2025 over the life of the contract, plus pay increases to retain highly-trained and experienced nurses. For the first time, nurses will now be able to appeal staffing violations to a 3rd party mediator if the employer continues to violate agreed upon staffing plans. The staffing improvements, along with important wage increases and lowered insurance costs, will help MVHS-Wynn Hospital recruit and retain nurses to ensure that Utica patients receive the best care possible.
Sheila Conley, RN, ICU nurse and local union president said, “Nurses are committed to this community. All we wanted in this contract was the ability to provide the best care possible. We have worked far too long with too many vacancies. Finally, we achieved what we set out to do, and more. We achieved a contract that will ensure that nurses will be able to provide the care this community deserves with safe staffing, higher wages and improved benefits. Our committee could not be happier.”
The agreement will help address the safe staffing issues that have plagued the hospital since it moved into its new downtown location over a year ago. There were 250 nurse vacancies in 2023, and over a year and a half later, over 200 vacancies remain. The new Wynn Hospital is a regional medical center and the only option for patients in Utica and the surrounding area.
Gary Evans, RN, said, “The relocation to our new downtown location and the merger of the two hospitals have created significant staffing challenges that this contract addresses through crucial measures. Although management has repeatedly expressed its desire to enhance staffing, we firmly believe that meaningful change will only occur once enforceable safe staffing standards are established and a comprehensive plan for nurse recruitment and retention is implemented. We have worked diligently to secure a contract that enables nurses to provide optimal care, and we are confident that we have achieved this goal.”
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said: “Over the last few months, nurses have been fighting for a contract that ensures the hospital have a plan to recruit and retain nurses to ensure safe patient care. This contract is a win for nurses and a win for the future of healthcare in Utica. Now we need the rest of Central New York to follow suit to ensure that ALL patients in New York receive the best care possible.”
Nurses at Wynn hospital have been fighting for a contract with safe staffing, improved wages and benefits, and recruitment and retention efforts for safe patient care since the fall. Their contract expired on December 31, 2024. Nurses at Oneida Health Hospital continue to bargain for a fair contract.
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The New York State Nurses Association represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, the country's largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members nationwide.