A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members   |   February 14, 2025  

Dear NYSNA Member, 

Wynn Hospital Nurses March on the Boss

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, over 50 NYSNA nurses at Mohawk Valley Health System Wynn Hospital showed up to march on the boss and deliver a petition to the chief nursing officer. The petition — which over 500 members of the bargaining unit signed — calls on management to negotiate a fair contract with safe staffing and respectful wages and benefits to improve recruitment and retention and keep nurses at the bedside. Wynn nurses presented the petition by calling out the over 200 vacant nurse positions and the overreliance on travelers. Nurses are ready to win a contract that attracts new nurses and ensures safe staffing so that nurses are able to continue providing excellent care to their patients. 

Oneida Nurses March on the Boss

On Wednesday, Feb. 12, Oneida nurses delivered an unfair labor practice notice to management due to management’s refusal to meet in person to bargain a fair contract. Nurses are ready to discuss important proposals, such as enforceable safe staffing standards, a plan to retain experienced nurses, and respectful wages and benefits. While nurses are eager to address Oneida’s long history of high nurse turnover with common-sense solutions to improve nurse recruitment and retention, management can’t be bothered to show up. After holding an outdoor speak-out in late January, nurses have shown they are committed to doing whatever it takes to get Oneida Health to start investing in its nurses and deliver a fair contract! 

Onondaga Nurses Display Fair Contract Stickers During County Executive Visit

On Friday, Feb. 7, nurses at Onondaga County took action when they heard that Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon was coming to their facility. Nurses attended the event wearing NYSNA “Fair Contract Now” stickers to call attention to their contract fight and make their demands visible. Nurses proudly wore NYSNA red to remind management and the county executive that nurses will take every opportunity to demand a fair contract with safe staffing and the wages and benefits nurses deserve. 

CenterLight Ad Campaign Gains Traction, Gets Support From City Council Members 

Homecare nurses at CenterLight Healthcare got support from City Hall this week in their fight for a new union contract and to reinstate their healthcare benefits. After NYSNA publicized CenterLight’s unlawful cuts to nurses’ healthcare on a new website, four City Council members spoke out in favor of nurses and called on CenterLight to reverse their actions and negotiate a fair contract.  

Supporting City Council members included Liz Schulman, the chair of the New York City Council’s Health Committee; Carmen DeLaRosa, the chair of the Labor Committee; as well as Amanda Farias, and Kevin Riley. Read their full quotes in NYSNA’s Press Release and check out the coverage of this issue in Politico. If you haven’t already, add your name to CenterLight nurses’ petition calling on CenterLight to reinstate the healthcare of the nurses who care for their patients. 

Long Island Nurses Are United for a Fair Contract

Long Island Nurses United — a coalition of NYSNA nurses from South Shore University Hospital/Northwell, Huntington Hospital/Northwell and Mount Sinai South Nassau —  kicked off a joint campaign meeting on Thursday, Feb.13, to organize and strategize together to win fair contracts for nurses and patients across Long Island. For nurses at two hospitals, Huntington and Mount Sinai South Nassau, this will be their first union contract. 

Nurses expressed their anger at witnessing their employers spend millions on executive salaries, marketing and fancy new buildings while these employers drag their feet on accepting common-sense proposals that ensure quality patient care and the recruitment and retention of nurses in Long Island. Nurses have come together to support each other in their contract fights and to show that whether the boss is Northwell or Mount Sinai, Long Island nurses are united for safe staffing and respect. Nurses at all three facilities are planning a joint speak-out on Feb. 26 to show unity and mutual support in their fight for fair contracts. Stay tuned for more information on this action. 

Albany Med Nurses Attend Capital Region Labor Breakfast

On Friday, Feb. 7, Albany Medical Center nurses joined union siblings around the capital region for a labor breakfast. Jen Bejo, RN, president of NYSNA’s bargaining unit at Albany Med, took the opportunity to speak with labor leaders about the ongoing staffing crisis and fight for a fair contract at Albany Med. She received a standing ovation and an outpouring of support from union leaders across the capital region, who expressed their commitment and solidarity with NYSNA nurses in their fight for a fair contract and patient safety. 

Montefiore Nurses Meet With Assembly Member to Bring Attention to ED Overcrowding

On Friday, Feb. 7, Montefiore nurses met with Assemblymember Jeffrey Dinowitz, whose district includes Montefiore facilities in the Bronx, to let him know their community is in danger of losing hospital beds and essential services after Montefiore management, at the end of 2024, announced a “restructuring” plan. Nurses are asking for the support of elected officials and community leaders in the Bronx to prevent the elimination of 16 hospital beds and palliative care services at a time when emergency rooms at Montefiore are filled beyond capacity and patients are waiting in hallways for care. The plan will also potentially move surgical services elsewhere in the Bronx or to its suburban campuses, reducing access to services. Nurses shared their concerns that reducing beds will add longer wait times and increase hallway patients.  

Montefiore nurses will continue to speak out against management’s plans and the disproportionate impact it will have on an underserved population in the Bronx. 

NYC H+H/Mayorals Nurses Fight Back Against Sick Leave Policy

NYC Health+Hospitals (H+H)/Mayorals members are fighting back against NYC H+H’s new interpretation of its long-standing time and attendance policy. The new interpretation of the nearly 40-year-old policy is unfair, arbitrary and punitive. Recently, management has pressured nurses to use less sick leave and counseled them over their use of sick leave. 

Last week, the NYC H+H/Mayorals executive council passed a resolution to initiate a campaign demanding the administration reaffirm our practice of having three or more consecutive sick days constitute a single occurrence. NYSNA also sent a letter to the Office of Labor Relations demanding H+H amend its policy to ensure fairness, consistency and respect. This week, over 500 H+H/Mayorals members gathered online for a Zoom town hall meeting to discuss the negative impacts of the policy shift on their health, practice, patients and morale. Members were fired up and participated in facility breakout groups to strategize about next steps. Stay tuned for more on the fight back! 

NYSNA Board of Directors Statement on the Crisis in the Middle East

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, NYSNA’s board of directors put out a statement reiterating a call for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Palestine and the release of all hostages. NYSNA’s board also called for an immediate suspension of our tax dollars going to weapons of war. Read the full statement.  

NYSNA and 1199SEIU Denounce ICE Raids in Healthcare Facilities

On Monday, Feb. 10, NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane, RN, joined 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East (1199SEIU) President George Gresham in denouncing the new federal policy of allowing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in sensitive locations, including healthcare facilities. NYSNA and 1199SEIU assert that this policy creates an atmosphere of fear in our communities that dissuades people from seeking necessary care, stating that, “Immigration raids inside places of healing will have a deeply damaging impact on public health, potentially causing millions of people across the country to forgo much-needed treatment for serious illnesses.” Read NYSNA and 1199SEIU’s full statement.  

This Sunday: Celebrate Lunar New Year With NYSNA!  

This Sunday, Feb. 16, join NYSNA in welcoming the Year of the Snake! NYSNA nurses and healthcare professionals will gather with members of the communities we serve to celebrate the Lunar New Year. Join in the parade and celebration in Manhattan’s Chinatown by RSVPing. For more information, and help spread through word, download and share the flyer. 

Know Your Rights and Advocate for Patients When Encountering ICE

Nurses’ first duty is to care for and advocate for our patients. NYSNA nurses care for all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status, income or insurance status, race, religion, ability or disability, sexuality, or gender identity or expression — simply regardless. Read our statement regarding the federal policy change on immigration enforcement in “sensitive locations,” including hospitals and schools. 

Learn your rights and get answers to frequently asked questions here to know what to do if you encounter ICE officers in your facility. 

NYSNA has also prepared this list of legal resources related to immigration. Please review and share widely. 

NYNSA Testifies at Joint Legislative Budget Hearing

On Tuesday, Feb. 11, NYNSA Policy Director Leon Bell was in Albany testifying about NYSNA’s positions on the 2025 New York legislative budget. He urged state elected officials to support legislation that aligns with NYSNA’s priorities of increasing funding for safety-net hospitals; protecting Medicaid; expanding access to healthcare services, including reproductive and maternal healthcare; and enacting the NY Health Act. NYSNA also strongly opposes several proposals that would infringe on our scope of practice and harm quality patient care, including the Interstate Nurse Licensure Compact, paramedicine proposals, a new Certified Medication Aide title and an expanded Hospital at Home program. Read NYSNA’s entire testimony and news coverage of the hearing in Politico.  

NYSNA members can add their voices by speaking directly to elected officials about legislative and budget priorities at the upcoming Lobby Day on March 11.

Labor Education: Huntington Nurses Trained on Grievance Handling, Winter-Spring 2025 Trainings Open for Registration

Executive committee members at Huntington Hospital/Northwell Health attended a training this week on how to effectively use their representational rights under the law. The training covered Weingarten rights, understanding just cause, how to identify a grievance, and what the grievance process entails. Huntington nurses recently voted to join NYNSA and are currently hard at work bargaining for a fair contract. Now executive committee members are ready to start representing members in investigatory meetings and file grievances. 

Registration for the statewide Spring 2025 Member Leader Training series is open and will take place on Zoom on Thursdays, April 4, 10, 17 and 24, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Member Leader Training is a four-part training open to all members who want to deepen their leadership skills, and it covers all the basic skills needed to represent your co-workers, enforce your contracts, organize successful collective actions, plan workplace issue campaigns, and have effective meetings with management. You can take each part individually or the entire series, and each provides three contact hours and 0.3 CEUs. Register here and invite your co-workers to attend with you. 

NEW DATES: Check out all of Labor Education's upcoming trainings, including new dates in March and April on Collective Bargaining Fights: What Is a Contract Campaign and Taking Control of Our Meetings with Management and many more. Check out training dates and register online.   

NYSNA Life Insurance – It's Time to Designate Your Beneficiary

NYSNA already provides members with a great benefit at no cost: Basic MetLife Life Insurance! This coverage provides $20,000 of Basic Life Insurance and $20,000 of Basic Personal Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance. All active members in good standing represented for collective bargaining through the union will automatically be enrolled in the plan. This union benefit is in addition to any other insurance provided by your benefits fund, your contract, or through your employer.

But for your loved ones to receive this benefit, you must designate them as a beneficiary! To enroll and receive instructions on designating a beneficiary for your new Basic Personal AD&D Insurance, go to nysnawinstonbenefits.com or call 1-866-483-1124. 

Sign up with your NYSNA Member ID to set up and access your account and benefits. If you need your Member ID, please contact the NYSNA Membership department at membership@nysna.org. Download the flyer for additional details.

Talkspace Go Classes Through Union UAP

NYSNA is excited to introduce a new resource available to all members and eligible family members from our Union Assistance Program (UAP): Talkspace Go classes to learn valuable skills and resources to support your health. February’s topics are designed to improve your mental health and well-being. These live, online group classes are therapist-led, anonymous and free. 

Check out the calendar of Talkspace Go classes for February 2025. There are new classes every month covering a broad range of topics related to work, family, relationships and mental health. You can download the Talkspace Go app for free from the Apple App store or Google Play  to review and register for classes. After you download the app, sign up and create an account, and then enter our organization's code: ESIAP.

NYSNA Will-Writing Benefits From MetLife 

The NYSNA Benefits Fund gives NYSNA members who are covered by the NYSNA Benefits Fund access to personal will preparation services that MetLife Legal Plans offer — at no additional cost.  

Having a will prevents unnecessary stress and ensures final wishes are clear. The Benefits Fund offers valuable legal resources through MetLife Legal Plans to assist with creating or updating a will with a member’s Basic Life coverage. As part of this benefit, members get legal guidance and unlimited consultations with network attorneys. Learn more here.  

NYSNA Members Are Eligible for AFL-CIO’s Union Plus Benefits!

The benefits of being a NYSNA member extend beyond your NYSNA benefits. As an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, NYSNA members are also eligible for Union Plus benefits to help current and retired labor union members and their families save money and support them through major milestones, celebrations and hardships. These benefits include discounts on wireless plans, credit card deals, mortgage deals, discounts on insurance plans and more! Find out more on the AFL-CIO Union Plus website. 

Free Benefits for NYSNA Members: UAP Program and SPAN Program

The Union Assistance Program (UAP) is a confidential self-help program, independent from NYSNA, that is available to NYSNA members and their families as a membership benefit. When an employee or family member (18 or older) faces a significant personal problem, they can call UAP’s experienced counselors at 800-252-4555 for assistance at any time. Read more information on phone counseling services here.

Learn about the benefits and resources that the UAP offers here. The February 2025 newsletter focuses on the importance of our own cardiovascular health and the heart health of those we love.

Statewide Peer Assistance for Nurses (SPAN) is a confidential education, support and advocacy program for all nurses licensed in New York state who are dealing with substance abuse problems. Visit the SPAN website for more information, or to sign up for one of its January classes on intention setting. Learn more about SPAN’s new Compassion Project here.

Wellness Wednesdays: As part of its mission to promote a healthy lifestyle, SPAN is also offering a Self-Care Series that includes free Wellness Wednesday courses. Check out February’s Interval Training classes and the full calendar of Wellness Wednesday offerings here.

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