NY Nurse: May 2022

Of all institutions, unions know the power of sticking together. When many people push for the same goal, their combined effort can make herculean tasks manageable. Having been on the front lines providing care in the direst of circumstances, healthcare professionals are clear that we rise or fall together. It was that spirit which brought New York's healthcare unions together to form the Joint Union Staffing Implementation Committee, comprised of members of DC37, 1199SEIU, Communications Workers of America, the New York State Public Employees Federation and the NYSNA.

While most conversations about gun violence focus on criminal justice remedies — more police, more jails, and a “tough on crime” mentality — many violence prevention experts have long understood violence as an issue of public health. According to the CDC, for more than 20 years, homicide has been the first and second leading cause of death for Black and Latino males, ages 15-34, and the second leading cause of death for Black females from 15-24.

As nurses on the front lines of patient care, we have seen up close the horrors of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 40,000 people in New York City have died, and countless others have been left wounded, physically and emotionally. We have seen the deep impact the pandemic has had on low-income communities of color. The disparities are all-encompassing, affecting marginalized communities physically, mentally and economically. We know that this is just a preview of what is ahead if we do not take climate change seriously. It is critical that we heed the warning.

NYSNA was proud to celebrate Nurses’ Week, May 6 through May 12. We honor the sacrifices nurses make to keep patients and communities safe. We recognize the ways in which nurses lead in and outside of hospitals and health systems. We also express gratitude for nurses’ leadership in advocating for local and state polices to ensure Medicare for All, action on the climate crisis, improved working conditions, funding for safety net hospitals, and increased support for healthcare workers. Nurses routinely give of themselves, even when doing comes at great personal and professional costs.

Last fall, so many workers went on strike, or threatened to strike, that October 2021 was known as striketober. Workers had been increasingly vocal about how demoralizing it was to work hard only to struggle to survive. Facing rising inflation, fallout from a devastating pandemic and unsafe working conditions, many workers, including healthcare professionals, took to the streets in protest. Let’s be clear: Work stoppages are rarely a first option; they are often a last-ditch effort to secure safe work environments, living wages, quality health insurance and respect on the job.