| | A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members | March 28, 2025 | |  | | | NYSNA Statement on Cuts to HHS Funding In light of the Department of Health and Human Services’ announcement of massive cuts to their budget and the slashing of tens of thousands of jobs, NYSNA released the following statement: “NYSNA nurses are deeply concerned about the Department of Health and Human Services’ abrupt termination of the billions of previously anticipated funding to essential services. These immediate cuts will have disastrous effects on New York’s people and economy. These grants were being used to fund infectious disease research, mental health services, addiction treatment, and other services that New Yorkers and others across this country rely on.” Read the full statement on NYSNA’s website and stay tuned on ways to fight these dangerous cuts to our public health infrastructure. | | | |  | Wynn Hospital Nurses Overwhelmingly Ratify Contract On Wednesday, March 26, a supermajority of NYSNA nurses at Mohawk Valley Health System- Wynn Hospital officially ratified a new contract! The contract includes across-the-board wage increases, a reduction in health insurance costs, improved staffing and floating language, and more. Strong membership participation in the ratification vote and throughout the entire negotiation process sent a clear message that Wynn nurses are united to fight for their patients and practice. With a new contract ratified, the work of enforcing it begins. Congratulations, Wynn nurses, on this victory! | | | |  | Garnet Health Nurses Ratify Contract! On Friday, March 21, NYSNA nurses at Garnet Health Medical Center officially ratified their contract, with a supermajority of NYSNA members voting in favor. The new three-year contract includes across-the-board wage increases, maintenance of the NYSNA benefit fund and improved safe staffing standards. This win comes not long after nurses delivered a petition to management that a supermajority of members signed in support of a fair contract. Nurses also won this contract without takeaways or givebacks. Now that nurses have ratified a new contract, they are ready to enforce it. Congratulations, Garnet Health nurses! | | | |  | NYP-Columbia Nurses Fight and Win Reversal of Ill-Conceived Changes in ED This week, NYSNA nurses in the NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia adult emergency department (ED) successfully reversed an ill-conceived change from management and won. After the hospital unilaterally made a programmatic change to the admitted patients’ area in the ED, nurses quickly mobilized to voice their concerns by attending a labor management meeting, unanimously signing a petition, marching on the boss and presenting a new staffing plan at the allocation committee meeting. Within two weeks of management rolling out its plan, nurses forced management to reverse course and discontinue the changes. The ED has had a history of disrespecting NYSNA nurses and making top-down changes, so nurses are feeling their power and already planning future mobilizations. When we fight, we win! | | | |  | CenterLight Nurses Authorize a Strike After months of attempting to bargain a fair contract and win back their healthcare after CenterLight management unlawfully canceled it, a super majority of CenterLight nurses have voted to authorize a strike. This strong display of unity sends a message to CenterLight management that NYSNA nurses are ready to do whatever it takes to advocate for their patients, win back their healthcare and win a fair contract. If CenterLight fails to make significant movement toward nurses’ demands, they are ready to put in a 10-day notice to strike. Striking is always a last resort, but CenterLight nurses are prepared to take this step for their patients and win the healthcare and fair contract they deserve. | | | | Huntington Nurses Demand Huntington Hospital Leadership Bargain on Location NYSNA nurses at Huntington Hospital have been fighting for a fair contract with enforceable staffing standards, a plan to retain experienced nurses, and respectful wages and benefits. After the latest bargaining session, nurses were outraged to learn that Huntington management is unwilling to negotiate a fair contract on-site at the hospital or at NYSNA offices! Nurses are taking action. They started a campaign to email Huntington Hospital leadership demanding that it agree to meet in person and bargain for the fair contract that nurses and patients deserve. | | | |  | New York City Private Sector Nurses Strategize on How to Win in 2025 Nearly 20,000 nurses at 12 New York City hospitals and over 100 locations are organizing together to win strong contracts that protect registered nurse standards and patient care. Over 100 nurses met all day at a strategy session to discuss the current political and economic context for their contract fight, to shape a coordinated campaign plan and calendar, and to brainstorm bargaining priorities and contract proposals. Participants from every labor bargaining unit engaged in robust discussions with their colleagues and NYSNA members at other facilities. Nurses are ready to harness their power and organize their colleagues to win! | | | |  | NYSNA Joins Save our Services Rally On Tuesday, March 25, NYSNA nurses joined union workers and community members at the “Let Us Work!” rally in support of federal workers from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) whom the Trump administration illegally fired. EPA workers are crucial to ensuring corporations respect environmental regulations and individuals are protected from hazardous environmental pollutants. Their dismissal will likely increase environmental risks that will negatively impact New Yorkers’ health. The rally is part of a series of actions taking place all over the state and the country to push back against the cuts to good union jobs and the gutting of essential services and institutions that work to protect New Yorkers and individuals across the U.S. | | | | 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. | | | |  | NSYNA Joins Labor Leaders in Albany in Support of NY Health Act On Monday, March 24, New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera stood alongside NYSNA, United Auto Workers, 1199SEIU, the Committee for Interns and Residents SEIU, and the Campaign for New York Health in a powerful show of unity. Together, they held a press conference to champion the NY Health Act — a transformative policy that will make healthcare more affordable for the vast majority of New Yorkers and guarantee comprehensive coverage for every resident. At a time when the federal government is threatening to gut our public healthcare infrastructure, it’s more crucial than ever that state leadership step up to declare that healthcare is a human right and expand access to all New Yorkers. Labor leaders — including NYSNA nurse at Albany Medical Center Tonia Bazel, RN — joined New York lawmakers supportive of the bill in calling on their colleagues to move it forward. | | | | Key Dates for 2025 Primary Election Our ability to strengthen the public health system — our social safety net — and support frontline working people depends on electing candidates who support nurses, healthcare professionals and our communities. For that, we need our members to get out the vote in New York’s primary elections. Review important dates and information about this year’s primary below. Find Your New York City Polling Site Find Your New York State Polling Site KEY DATES FOR 2025 ELECTIONS - June 14: Last day to receive an absentee ballot
- June 23: Deadline to apply in-person for a primary ballot
- June 14-June 22: Early voting for the primary election
- June 24: Primary Election Day | Deadline to postmark mail-in ballot
| | | | | | | | Nurses for Democracy: Updated Resources to Protect Patients and Navigate Recent Federal Changes The Trump administration is rapidly making sweeping changes that affect nurses and our patients in and out of the hospital. As nurses, our first and most important responsibility is to our patients. Regardless of gender or immigration status, we are committed to providing every patient with high-quality, safe healthcare and treating them with dignity as people. That is why NNU has put together a list of resources to stay informed and fight back against the rollout of several policies attacking and endangering marginalized communities’ health, safety and lives. See our list of resources regarding these policy changes here. | | | |  | Take the NYSNA Learning Needs Assessment Survey Today! Help NYSNA understand your needs by completing the 2025 NYSNA Learning Needs Assessment survey. It only takes a few minutes, and your feedback and commentary are invaluable to plan our educational programs so that they are best suited to meet our members’ needs. For nurses and other healthcare professionals at the frontlines of rapidly changing environments, learning and adjusting are necessary skills required to care and advocate for the patient. NYSNA’s Nursing Education and Practice team is here to help! But we also need your help completing our survey before the April 18 deadline! If you have any questions, please email the Nursing Education and Practice department at Education@NYSNA.org. | | | | Last Chance to Complete the Required NYS Reporting Child Abuse Course Time is running out to make sure you have completed the required Identification and Reporting Child Abuse Course. All licensed health practitioners are required to repeat the Identification and Reporting New York State Child Abuse program, even if you have taken the program in the past. This is a one-time requirement that each individual practitioner must complete and send proof of completion to the New York State Education Department by Tuesday, April 1, 2025. The course is free for NYSNA members. To complete this requirement for free; set up your individual NYSNA account and be signed in; go to the Child Abuse Reporting Course register for and take the program; download your certificates of completion; and mail them to the New York State Education Department. Reach out to your NYSNA Rep to get the NYSNA member ID to use to create an account. Please check our flyer for more information. | | | | 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! | | | | Seminar at Sea 2025 Join NYSNA on a weeklong cruise from Spain to Portugal on May 24-31, 2025. Not only will you get a chance to visit these beautiful countries, but you will also have the opportunity to obtain nursing continuing education credits and connect with colleagues from New York and throughout the country. You can find additional information on our website to learn about this unique and informative educational program and details on how to register for the cruise. | | | | 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 free classes for NYSNA NPs. | | | | | | Labor Education: Spring 2025 Trainings Open for Registration In preparation for contract negotiations later this year, about 80 nurses from the Bronx (BronxCare and Montefiore) attended an online training on Monday, March 24, to find out why we need a powerful Contract Action Team (CAT), a member-to-member network, to win a strong contract. Key lessons from the training include CAT members’ responsibility to talk to and organize 10 co-workers on their unit during the contract campaign and how important it is for CAT members to round on other units to help build the network. Finally, CATs from the 2022 contract fight described how they built power so the boss knew that the bargaining committee had organized nurses who were ready to show the hospital how serious they were. Calling all Contract Action Team (CAT) members! Learn how to be a leader in a contract campaign as an engaged CAT member! Register here. The statewide Spring 2025 Member Leader Training series is coming up! Registration 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. Check out all of Labor Education’s trainings here, and please reach out to labored@nysna.org with questions or requests for trainings in your facilities. | | | | | | | | 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. | | | | NEW: Save the Date for Upcoming Avian Flu Webinars The current avian influenza outbreak in the U.S. has affected almost 200 million birds and almost 1,000 cattle herds. Many other species, including domestic cats, have been infected. And while the official count of human infections remains under 100, it is estimated that actual cases are far higher. While person-to-person transmission of avian influenza remains relatively rare, it is likely that a mutation that makes this type of transmission more efficient will happen at some point. NYSNA’s Occupational Health and Safety team invites you to save the date for two upcoming online workshops on Thursday, April 3, or Tuesday, April 8, to learn about the current state of avian influenza transmission, surveillance, testing, patient treatment and ways to protect healthcare professionals from infection. Check out the informational flyer, and register to attend April 3 or April 8. | | | | CDC Issues Health Advisory on Influenza Testing The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a health advisory through its Health Alert Network regarding testing and subtyping for influenza A. There is currently a high rate of seasonal influenza A (both H1N1 and H3N2 subtypes) in circulation. In addition, the current avian influenza subtype is an influenza A virus (H5N1). By recommending a shorter timeline for testing and subtyping which type of influenza A that patients are presenting, the CDC hopes to catch any human avian influenza cases as quickly as possible. Read the full advisory here. If you have questions or concerns regarding infection control at your facility, please contact the NYSNA Occupational Health and Safety Representatives at healthandsafety@nysna.org. And check out all the latest infectious disease alerts from NYSNA Health and Safety, including the updated Are Hospitals Today More or Less Prepared for Surges? health alert as well as alerts about Norovirus and Mpox. | | | | 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: 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 April 2025 newsletter focuses on rethinking drinking for your health. 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 March classes. Learn more about SPAN’s new Compassion Project here. Check out our NEW Spring Newsletter. 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 April’s classes focused on functional mobility as well as the full calendar of Wellness Wednesday offerings here. | | | | | | | | In solidarity,
Pat Kane, RN
Executive Director | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
