| | A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members | May 16, 2025 | |  | | | Happy Nurses Week! Nurses Week celebrations continue! This week, nurses celebrated by phone banking against cuts to Medicaid at the NYSNA office, by honoring their fallen colleagues with a beautiful Hudson Valley Nurse Honor Guard memorial service at Vassar Brothers Medical Center, and with Nurses Week events throughout New York! Check out photos from NYSNA Nurses Week celebrations here. The origins of Nurses’ Week come from honoring the birthday of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, on May 12. Thank you to all the nurses who carry her torch of service and care! | | | |  | NYSNA Nurses Across New York Fight to Protect Medicaid! This week, NYSNA nurses across New York spoke out, made phone calls, protested and joined forces with 1199/SEIU to stop the extreme and cruel cuts Congress is proposing to the Medicaid program. While Congress is negotiating the final budget, nurses and healthcare workers are fighting for our patients by making our voices heard. From Dunkirk to Peekskill to Plattsburgh to Bay Shore, nurses showed up to urge their members of Congress to listen to frontline nurses and vote to protect a program that saves lives and provides healthcare to millions of New Yorkers, including almost half of New York’s children. Nurses also phone banked members of Congress to stop the cuts in Terrytown, Melville, and Manhattan. The fight is not over. You can still take action by calling and emailing your representative using this simple online tool to tell your member of Congress to protect Medicaid! We will also continue phone banking on Thursday, May 22, and Friday, May 23, at NYSNA’s New York City office. Sign up to join here. | | | |  | Northwell/Huntington Hospital Nurses March on the Boss Northwell/Huntington nurses are united in their fight for quality care for Long Island patients! On Wednesday, May 14, they packed the room at their clinical staffing meeting to testify on the need for safe staffing in their units. And on Thursday, May 15, they marched on the boss with over 425 petition signatures from nurses demanding a fair contract, presenting their petition directly to their chief nursing officer and Northwell/Huntington Hospital’s CEO. They’ll be back at the bargaining table on Monday, May 19, where they will continue to turn out to ensure hospital executives know that nurses are united in their demands for safe staffing and the respectful pay and benefits needed to retain and recruit nurses. Huntington nurses are ready to settle a fair contract, but if their bosses stall, they are also prepared to organize and escalate to win the contract they and their patients deserve. | | | | Calling All New York City Nurses: Labor Ed Courses and Spring 2025 Trainings Open for Registration NYSNA’s Spring Bargaining Trainings continue. Sign up for Labor Education’s New Officer and New Convention Delegate Leadership Training; Staffing Enforcement: Collecting Protest of Assignments; and our Know Your Rights: Organizing, Representation and Contract Enforcement trainings taking place throughout May. Check out the comprehensive schedule, and click here to register. Contact labored@nysna.org with questions or to request a training in your facility. | | | | ECMC Nurses Opt-in to Paid Family Leave Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) nurses voted by an overwhelming majority to opt in to New York’s Paid Family Leave program! Nurses will now have access to a critical resource that offers them job protection and paid time off after the birth of a child, when a member of their household is sick or if a family member is overseas on deployment. NYSNA nurses successfully organized their colleagues to vote yes by making rounds throughout the hospital, talking to their colleagues about the critical need for this type of leave in both planned and unplanned situations and answering questions about why public sector nurses deserve access to the program. Now, thanks to the hard work and dedication of NYSNA members at ECMC, all nurses at the hospital now have access to this groundbreaking—and potentially life-changing—benefit. Congratulations, ECMC nurses! Read more about this fight on our website. | | | |  | NYSNA Attends NYC CLC Annual Reception On Wednesday, May 14, NYSNA joined labor leaders across New York City for an evening of solidarity and celebration at the NYC Central Labor Council Annual Awards and Reception honoring 32BJ SEIU President Manny Pastreich. The awards ceremony also honored Jonathan Smith, the president of the New York Metro Area Postal Union, as well as Worker Justice Project, an immigrant-led organization that has been fighting for the rights of delivery workers in New York City. | | | |  | 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.”
Share our Save the Date flyer, and stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information and a link to register online. | | | | New York Elected Official and NYSNA Nurse Interviewed on Albany Med’s Staffing Crisis Last week, a coalition of capital region legislators sent a letter to the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) demanding that the DOH take action to resolve the staffing and patient care crisis at Albany Medical Center. Listen to WAMC’s interview with Assembly Member Gabriella Romero and WAMC’s coverage of the ongoing staffing crisis. The radio interview also featured Jen Bejo, RN, a member of NYSNA’s bargaining committee at Albany Med, where she said, “We are fighting against one of the most powerful employers in the Capital Region, and it is only through the support of the community that we will ensure that Albany Med begins to take patient care seriously and address the staffing crisis.” | | | | NYNSA Joins Lawsuit to Restore Workplace Safety Programs On Wednesday, May 14, NYSNA joined unions across industries to sue the current administration to reverse the illegal dismantling of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), a component of the Department of Health and Human Services. NIOSH is responsible for conducting research and making recommendations for the prevention of work-related injury, illness, disability, and death on the job and is the only federal agency that gives workers a seat at the table and a voice in health and safety. The reckless cuts to NIOSH — made under the direction of Elon Musk’s DOGE — have shut down vital programs that will result in the firing of more than 85% of the staff by July and directly threaten the lives of workers whose safety and health depend on NIOSH. Read the full press release here. Nurses are prepared to use all the tools at our disposal, including legal ones, to fight back against attacks on healthcare and workers’ rights. | | | | 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. NEW: 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. | | | |  | New York Legislative Budget Victories While nurses are fighting attacks on healthcare at the federal level, we can rest assured that our advocacy makes an impact and has led to some victories in New York state! Here are some victories NYSNA won in the New York state budget: - Increased funding for safety-net hospitals. In anticipation of extreme federal cuts, NYSNA successfully advocated for New York to invest in healthcare alongside labor and healthcare advocates.
- Rejected harmful proposals that would have endangered patients and undermined the nursing profession; including the interstate Nurse Licensure Compact, expansion of the hospital-at-home program, a proposal that would have allowed certified medication aides to dispense medications in nursing homes under RN supervision, and a proposal that would have allowed medical assistants in outpatient offices to provide vaccinations under MD, PA, or NP supervision.
| | | |  | Parade Season is Here! Upcoming June Cultural Events June marks the beginning of NYSNA’s participation in various cultural events that celebrate the power in the diverse identities and cultures that make up the NYSNA union family. You can now register for the following June events. - COMING UP! Buffalo Pride Parade
Sunday, June 1. Check out the flyer and register here. - Albany Pride Parade
Sunday, June 8. Register here. - Puerto Rican Day Parade
Sunday, June 8. Check out the flyer and register here. - Buffalo Juneteenth Parade
Sunday, June 15. Check out the flyer and register here. - Albany Filipino Independence Day Parade
Saturday, June 29. Register here. - New York City Pride Parade
Sunday, June 29. Check out the flyer and register here. | | | | NEW: NYSNA Endorsements in the 2025 Elections NYSNA and four other major city unions — 32BJ SEIU, Communications Workers of America District 1, District Council 37 and Hotel Trades Council — jointly endorsed candidates who will fight for worker rights, health equity and our city’s future as part of the Labor Strong 2025 Coalition. Check out the 27 Labor Strong-endorsed candidates for New York City Council. NYSNA has also endorsed candidates in other races, such as Sean Ryan for Mayor of Buffalo, Justin Brannan for New York City comptroller, Jumaane Williams for New York City public advocate, Anthony Reynoso for Brooklyn Borough president, Richard Donovan for Queens Borough President, and Vanessa Gibson for Bronx Borough president. Check out our full list of endorsements here. This is a critical election year, and it’s more vital than ever that we have a pro-worker, pro-union, pro-healthcare justice majority in the New York City Council and in other city or borough-wide roles to support nurses and our fights for patients. Read NYSNA’s full press release about the endorsement here, and check below for key dates for this year’s election! | | | | 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 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
| | | | Nurses’ Care Plan for America, Protecting the Right to Health! National Nurses United (NNU) will not allow our public health systems to be dismantled. Join NNU on Tuesday, June 3, for “Nurses’ Care Plan for America, Protecting the Right to Health” webinar. The webinar will review the impact of the current cuts to government programs, how they will impact people’s health and how the current administration is utilizing disinformation to draw working people into anti-government perspectives to support deregulation. Register for the webinar here. | | | | NNU Supports Introduction of Safe Staffing Bill NNU applauds the Nurse Staffing Standards for Hospital Patient Safety and Quality Care Act, a federal legislative proposal that would establish minimum registered nurse-to-patient ratios for every hospital unit, effective at all times. The bill also provides whistle-blower protections to ensure that nurses are free to speak out for the enforcement of safe staffing standards. Read more about the bill in NNU’s press release here. Throughout National Nurses Week, hospital employers have given nurses hollow praise and “appreciation gifts,” but nurses across the country are standing up to say: Keep your pizza; give us safe staffing ratios. | | | | NEW Courses Added: Sign up for New NNU Courses Free for NYSNA Members Starting in May and throughout the summer, National Nurses United (NNU) will offer 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." | | | | Two New Nurse Scholarship Opportunities! Two scholarship opportunities are now available for registered and licensed practical nurses in New York. The Edna A. Lauterbach Scholarship and the Senator Patricia K. McGee Nursing Faculty Scholarship. The Edna A. Lauterbach Scholarship offers up to $6,300 for those pursuing a home and community-based care career path. The scholarship covers tuition, books, specialty training and other educational expenses. The deadline for scholarship applications is June 1, 2025, and winners will be announced at the New York State (NYS) Association of Health Care Providers conference in October 2025. For more information and to apply, visit www.ednascholarship.org or contact NYS Association of Health Care Providers at 518-463-1118 or via email at hcp@nyshcp.org. 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. | | | |  | NEW: 2026 Seminar at Sea Join NYSNA on a weeklong cruise to China, South Korea and Japan set to set 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. | | | | Avian Influenza & Measles Webinar The current avian influenza outbreak in the U.S. has affected almost 200 million birds and almost 1 thousand 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. Additionally, the U.S. is currently experiencing escalating rates of measles, pertussis and TB. A new webinar “Avian Influenza & Measles: Preparing for New & Newly Recurring Infectious Diseases” will assist nurses in understanding the current situation of each of these pathogens, preparation for possible effects on the healthcare system, best practices for infection control in the healthcare setting, and protections for both patients and nurses. This webinar is being offered on Wednesday, June 11, from 10 a.m.-noon, and Thursday, June 12, from 8 p.m.-10 p.m. Register for either session here. | | | | 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. | | | | | | | | May Is Mental Health Awareness Month — Mental Health Sessions & Talkspace Go App The Union Assistance Program (UAP) is offering four live online sessions in May to support union members for Mental Health Awareness Month. Please use the following links to register for the sessions. After registering for a live session, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. For more resources, check out this flyer, which recommends specific online webinars, trainings and learning centers in support of Mental Health Awareness Month. 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. | | | | 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 May 2025 newsletter focuses on Mental Health Awareness Month. | | | | SPAN’s NEW Spring Newsletter and Forum on Recovery Ready Workplaces in Nursing 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 May or June classes. Check out SPAN’s NEW spring newsletter celebrating 25 years of SPAN. And check out SPAN’s new Compassion Project, which is hosting an important online forum on Recovery Ready Workplaces in Nursing on May 28. Learn more about the speakers in the flyer and register 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 the full calendar of Wellness Wednesday offerings here. | | | | | | In solidarity,
Pat Kane, RN
Executive Director | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
