| | A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members | June 13, 2025 | |  | | | Department of Health Enforces Safe Staffing Law, Levels Historic Fines Against Albany Medical Center Approximately one year after beginning its investigation into Albany Medical Center, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) has finally leveled historic fines against the hospital, ordering Albany Med to pay $375,000 to the state for more than 500 violations of New York’s safe staffing law. These fines — the largest NYSNA nurses are aware of to date — are the result of tireless advocacy from NYSNA nurses at Albany Med who have continued to speak out about the staffing crisis at the hospital. Despite Albany Med CEO Dr. Dennis McKenna’s refusal to acknowledge the severity of the staffing crisis, these fines — alongside the settlement and the hospital’s admission of guilt — validate nurses’ concerns about the detrimental impact that understaffing has on patient care in the capital region. NYSNA nurses applaud the DOH for taking action, holding Albany Med accountable and showing hospitals across the state that no one is above the law. The Times Union and WNYT reported on the DOH’s fines to Albany Med. Albany Med nurses also returned to the bargaining table this week, as they continue to fight for the fair contract that capital region nurses and patients deserve. On the heels of the DOH’s announcement of these historic fines to the hospital and after last week’s speak-out, nurses turned out in droves to support their bargaining committee. Over 100 nurses attended bargaining on Thursday, June 12, to demand an end to the staffing crisis and to show Albany Med administrators that nurses won’t stop fighting until they secure a contract with a meaningful plan to recruit and retain nurses and enforceable safe staffing ratios. Keep up the great work, Albany Med nurses, because when we fight, we win! | | | |  | Huntington Hospital Nurses Picket for a Fair Contract Rain couldn’t stop Northwell Health/Huntington Hospital nurses from speaking out for safe patient care! NYSNA nurses at Northwell Health/Huntington Hospital showed up and walked the informational picket line on Tuesday, June 10, to send a message to management: “Nurses deserve a fair contract now!” Long Island Jobs for Justice and fellow Northwell Health nurses from Plainview Hospital and South joined Huntington nurses at the picket line. Huntington nurse Erin Gray, RN, said, “We are here because NYSNA nurses want what is best for our community ... If Northwell Health wanted the same, management would agree to ratios that ensure there are enough nurses to safely care for patients and that they aren’t spread thin.” See coverage of the picket on Huntington Now and News12. | | | |  | NYSNA Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian Speak Out Against Layoffs NYSNA, 1199SEIU and Communications Workers of America nurses and healthcare workers rallied outside NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) Columbia on Wednesday, June 11, to speak out against the system wide layoffs. Pediatric nurse practitioners and palliative care nurses who were notified that NYP was laying them off gave powerful testimony about the impact this loss of staff and services will have on their patients, their colleagues and the community. NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN joined the speak out saying, “Frontline nurses and caregivers make this hospital run. They make it amazing. And together we will fight to make sure this hospital STAYS AMAZING!” Union healthcare workers also expressed their deep frustration that as healthcare workers are fighting the federal government’s egregious attacks on Medicaid, they must fight their employer — one of the wealthiest healthcare systems in New York City — for taking advantage of this critical moment to put profits over patients. Check out photos and videos from the speak-out, and stay tuned for more ways to support NYP nurses and healthcare workers in their fight back! | | | |  | Nancy Hagans Headlines the Labor Press Healthcare Conference NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, gave the keynote address at Labor Press’ 2025 Labor Healthcare Rights Conference on Long Island. NYSNA members joined union leaders and members from across the country for this full-day conference to discuss the major challenges in healthcare and how to use our collective power to improve healthcare for our members and communities. Union leaders presented about how they are fighting back against increased healthcare costs and employer givebacks. Hagans’ keynote presentation reminded participants about the threat of extreme Medicaid and federal healthcare funding cuts and decreased healthcare oversight that will harm public health. | | | | Calling All Members: Labor Ed Courses and Summer 2025 Trainings Open for Registration NYSNA’s Labor Education Department is ready to come to your facility to train members to become union leaders. Sign up for Labor Education’s Taking Control of Our Meetings with Management, and Bargaining Trainings on How to Become a Contract Action Team member, What is a Contract Campaign, Mobilizing Members & Rounding, and more, taking place throughout June and July. Check out the comprehensive schedule, and click here to register. Contact labored@nysna.org with questions or to request a training in your facility. | | | |  | Save the Date for the 2025 NYSNA Convention: Strength in Solidarity! Mark your calendars for the 2025 NYSNA Convention, where hundreds of NYSNA members will come together to decide our union’s direction. The 2025 convention will take place in Resorts World Catskills on Oct. 28 and 29. This year’s convention theme is “Strength in Solidarity.” Check out the NYSNA website for the most up-to-date information on the convention. Stay tuned over the coming weeks for more information and a link to register online! | | | | Union Members Rally in Support of SEIU California Leader Over the weekend, SEIU California President David Huerta was injured and arrested for exercising his First Amendment rights to observe and document law enforcement action as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conduct raids on our immigrant communities in Los Angeles. Nurses and other union workers oppose his arrest and sweeping workplace raids. Together, we are standing up in solidarity with fellow immigrant workers. In New York City, NYSNA and fellow labor unions throughout the city rallied outside City Hall to demand an end to the ICE raids and Huerta’s release. NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, released the following statement: “NYSNA nurses denounce the violence and fear spread by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers in recent sweeping, indiscriminate workplace immigration raids across Los Angeles. These raids are threatening the safety of our immigrant communities, leading many to avoid seeking essential care. Nurses are in solidarity with leaders like SEIU California President David Huerta, who have tirelessly raised their voices for immigrant rights, and we demand his immediate release. Nurses will fight against any federal action that denies people their democratic rights and compromises the safety of our immigrant and migrant communities.” Hours later, the labor movement celebrated Huerta’s release. However, we know the fight is not over yet. Union members throughout the country will not stop fighting to protect the rights of workers and our immigrant communities. | | | | 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. Our allies at the New York Immigration Coalition developed this toolkit to provide a comprehensive list of resources for community members, partners and allies who work with immigrants. The toolkit covers health, community safety, family resources, financial empowerment and more. 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. | | | | Deadline to Register to Vote and Early Voting Starts Tomorrow, June 14! This weekend is your last chance to register to vote before the June 24 primary election. This is also the first weekend of early voting. Cast your ballot early to avoid the crowds until June 22, and get involved to help elect NYSNA champions who will make a difference in the lives of nurses, healthcare workers and our patients! Sign up to register to vote, and find your early voting polling location! Help us build political power for our union and make sure we elect pro-worker, pro-healthcare representatives to office so we can hold employers and special interests accountable. Sign up for phone banking, and door knocking get out the vote shifts. Download the flyer. Check out NYSNA’s list of endorsements for the 2025 primary election, and learn about your right to time off to vote! Mark the following dates on your calendar to ensure NYSNA members make our voices heard by turning out in record numbers! KEY DATES FOR 2025 ELECTIONS - June 14: Last day to register to vote/ receive an absentee ballot
- June 14-22: Early voting for the primary election
- June 23: Deadline to apply in person for a primary ballot
- June 24: Primary Election Day | Deadline to postmark mail-in ballot
| | | |  | NYSNA Members Get Out the Vote! In the weeks leading up to the election, NYSNA members are getting out the vote! Over the past week, Bronx members joined our labor allies at the NYC Central Labor Council, UFCW Local 338 and LiUNA to knock on doors for Pierina Sanchez for NYC Council. Union nurses are a key voting block and are ready to turn out for candidates who support unions, workers’ rights, and reproductive and healthcare justice! | | | |  | Hospital Violence Prevention Act Passes State Legislature NYSNA and 1199SEIU applaud the passage of bills A203B/S5294B to amend Public Health Law to require hospitals and nursing homes to develop and implement comprehensive workplace violence safety and prevention programs and improve security in emergency rooms. NYSNA nurses have been speaking out in support of this measure throughout this legislative session. Nurses and healthcare workers will continue to advocate for policies that ensure that hospitals and nursing homes remain places of health and healing where all can safely receive care. | | | |  | Parade Season is Here! Join Nurses at the Buffalo Juneteenth Parade and More! June marks the beginning of NYSNA’s participation in various cultural events that celebrate the power of the diverse identities and cultures that make up the NYSNA union family and the communities we serve. This past weekend, NYSNA celebrated LGBTQIA Pride in the capital region and Puerto Rican heritage in New York City. Join us for the Buffalo Juneteenth parade on Saturday! Check out all upcoming June events below. - Buffalo Juneteenth Parade
Saturday, June 14. Check out the flyer and register here. - Albany Filipino Independence Day Parade
Saturday, June 28. Register here. - New York City Pride Parade
Sunday, June 29. Check out the flyer and register here. | | | |  | NYSNA Pride Stories During Pride month, NYSNA wants to uplift the stories of LGBTQIA+ members and allies. While LGBTQIA+ rights are under attack, we want our members and patients to know we’ve got your back! Do you identify as LGBTQIA+ or feel passionate about being an ally and advocate for the LGBTQIA+ community? NYSNA wants to hear from you! Send us a video or a brief email expressing what pride means to you. We will use these videos and quotes on our social media to reflect our members’ commitment to fighting for the LGBTQ+ community’s rights and healthcare. More details are on this flyer. | | | | Newsweek: Nurses Were Covid Heroes. Now They're Being Squeezed by Medicaid Cuts Nurses were lauded as frontline healthcare heroes during Covid-19 pandemic. However, as the federal government considers Medicaid cuts, healthcare employers are considering cuts that risk patient care and impact the future of the profession. Newsweek reports on the advocacy that NYSNA nurses at Montefiore, NYP and Albany Med are doing to stop patient overcrowding, stop massive layoffs, and demand safe staffing in their facilities. Hagans shared, “"NYSNA nurses have always maintained that there are more than enough nurses, but hospitals refuse to make real efforts to recruit and retain nurses.” Read the full Newsweek article. | | | | UC Nurses Kick Off Contract Negotiations With Statewide Rallies Nurses working at University of California (UC) medical centers held rallies across the state on Tuesday, June 10, to kick off the start of their contract negotiations. Nurses’ primary priority, across medical centers statewide, is reversing and halting the UC management’s growing practice of short-staffing its facilities; cutting back on resources; and forcing their hardworking, overstretched providers to do more work with less support. The California Nurses Association represents 25,000 nurses across more than a dozen campuses. Their contracts will expire on Oct. 31, 2025. | | | | National Nurses United Workshop: Reevaluating Magnet Recognition and its Impacts on Nursing Practice and Professional Autonomy This popular course examines the effects of Magnet status designation on nursing practice, with a focus on how the models of care, leadership approaches, and management styles promoted by Magnet recognition impact nurses' ability to exercise independent professional judgment and advocate effectively for patients. Don’t miss out. Register for the course in June, July and August. You can register here and check out this flyer for all available dates. | | | | Sign up for New NNU Courses Free for NYSNA Members NNU is offering FREE virtual courses for NYSNA members! View the full calendar and register here or click on the links below to learn more and register for the courses you’re interested in. When registering for NNU courses, be sure to check off the first box, "Yes, I am a CNA/NNOC/NNU member." | | | | Urgent Health Advisory: Avoid Nonsterile Ultrasound Gel in Percutaneous Procedures On May 23, 2025, the New York State DOH and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene issued 2025 Health Advisory #10: Non-Sterile Ultrasound Gel Contaminated
with an Environmental Bacterium. According to the health advisory, healthcare providers should avoid nonsterile ultrasound gel in preparation for or during procedures that involve puncturing the skin. Please review the NYSNA Health Advisory in full for more details | | | | Upcoming Deadlines for Nurse Scholarship Opportunities! The Senator Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship is available to registered nurses licensed in New York pursuing a graduate degree that leads to a career in nursing or adjunct clinical faculty. The scholarship provides awardees with up to $20,000 annually. To qualify, students must meet the following requirements: Enroll in a graduate degree program that qualifies you to work as nursing faculty or adjunct clinical faculty in New York, have a GPA of 3.0 or higher if you have already completed a semester in a graduate program, and live in New York and work as nursing faculty or adjunct faculty for four years. The deadline to apply is June 17, 2025. Go to www.hesc.ny.gov for more information about how to apply. A scholarship opportunity is still available for nursing students, registered, and licensed practical nurses in New York. The Secor Scholarship Fund, established in 2007, is made possible by a generous bequest by long-time NYSNA member Jane Secor, Ph.D., RN. Dr. Secor stipulated that the endowment be used for furthering nursing education. Two Secor Scholarships are awarded annually: - $5,000 to a NYSNA member seeking a baccalaureate (or higher) degree in nursing.
- $5,000 to a family member of a NYSNA member seeking a first degree in nursing.
Details of the scholarship, eligibility and application forms are available on NYSNA’s website. The 2025 application deadline is July 3, 2025. | | | |  |  | 2026 Seminar at Sea Join NYSNA on an unforgettable weeklong cruise to China, South Korea and Japan set to sail in April 2026! This is an opportunity to visit beautiful countries while obtaining nursing continuing education credits and learning about the relevant and important topic of artificial intelligence in nursing practice and nursing education. Check out the informational flyer to learn about this unique and informative educational program. | | | | Journal of the New York State Nurses Association The Journal of the New York Nurses Association is currently seeking papers. Authors are invited to submit scholarly papers, research studies, brief reports on clinical or educational innovations, and articles of opinion on subjects important to registered nurses. Of particular interest are papers addressing direct care issues. New authors and student authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts for publication. Check out the latest volume of the journal and read the guidelines for submission here. | | | | 2025 Nursing Education & Practice Courses NYSNA members can take advantage of FREE e-leaRN courses, including state-mandated offerings, standard of practice and certification review courses, as well as nursing practice workshops. Take a look at the complete course offering, and register for the courses directly here. You must create an account and be signed into it to search the full catalog of classes and register for them at no cost! | | | | Calling All Nurse Practitioners The NYSNA Nursing Education and Practice Department has added required and important educational offerings specifically for nurse practitioners (NPs). The courses include new, updated, new and required and mandated courses. Learn more and register to these classes for NYSNA NPs. | | | | | | | | | | Effective Jan. 1: Prenatal Rights Under New York State Law Recent changes to New York state employment law help working parents better navigate work and family and require hospitals to better accommodate registered nurses’ medical and family needs. Effective Jan. 1, 2025, New York has become the first state in the U.S. to require paid prenatal care leave, impacting all private employers. This comes not long after the June 2024 change that requires public and private employers to provide a minimum of a 30-minute paid break for employees to pump breast milk. Learn more about these rights in our updated NYSNA fact sheet and the New York State FAQs. | | | | Nurses’ Rights to Be Whistleblowers and Protest Your Assignments NYSNA members should be empowered with the knowledge of laws that have been passed with NYSNA’s input to protect them and empower them to speak up when patient safety is compromised, either due to unsafe staffing or other factors, such as a lack of personal protective equipment, as was the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Take a moment to learn about your rights in this flyer. | | | | COVID-19 Leave Fact Sheet Nurses working in New York have several options for fully paid or partially paid leave to cover work time missed due to COVID-19 infection or COVID-19 quarantine. Check out this fact sheet updated by NYSNA’s Occupational Health and Safety team to learn more about your rights under New York state law. | | | | Long COVID Guide Read NYSNA’s Long COVID Guide to help you stay informed on the diagnosis, treatment options, benefits and rights for workers with long COVID. | | | | | | | | 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. | | | | 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: Union Assistance 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 June 2025 newsletter outlines the most frequently asked questions counselors hear from members seeking assistance. Check it out here. The Talkspace Go app, another great resource UAP offers, is great for accessing daily mental health support on the go! Talkspace Go is a clinician-created, self-guided app so you can address mental health challenges and build mental fitness on your own schedule. It empowers couples, individuals and parents to take progress into their own hands in as little as five minutes a day. Access 400-plus self-guided classes and live weekly therapist-led, anonymous classes. Enjoy assessments, meditation exercises, journaling, reminders and more. Talkspace Go app is available at no cost to members and their eligible household members! Click here for the instructions and passcode to access the app. 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 June and July classes. Check out SPAN’s Compassion Project. 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 the full calendar of Wellness Wednesday offerings here. | | | | | | In solidarity,
Pat Kane, RN
Executive Director | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
