| | A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members | May 23, 2025 | |  | | | NYSNA Honors Memorial Day On this Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country. | | | |  | We Fight to Save Medicaid Because Medicaid Saves Lives! On Thursday, May 22, the House of Representatives passed a consequential budget bill that includes hundreds of billions in cuts to social programs, including Medicaid. If the bill advances through the Senate and gets signed into law, it will decimate funding for this life-saving program, other healthcare programs like New York’s Essential Plan, and other social safety net programs. More than 1 million of our patients — including some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers — will lose access to healthcare, entire hospitals could close, and thousands of nurses and healthcare workers could lose their jobs. The state will lose nearly $15 billion in federal funding, and healthcare costs, denials and paperwork will increase for many of us. Saying that Medicaid is a life-saving program isn’t hyperbole. A recent study that the National Bureau of Economic Research conducted found that the expansion of Medicaid has saved more than 27,000 lives since 2010. These findings confirm what nurses have been saying at every available opportunity, and they explain why we’ve been fighting these cuts at every turn. Whether on the streets by attending protests, on Capitol Hill by lobbying Congress directly or in the press by using our voices to call on our representatives to do the right thing, nurses have been at the forefront of the fight to save Medicaid, protect our patients and defend our practice. The fight is not over, and the bill is not a done deal. The Senate still has to vote, and we can still pressure Congress to make changes while the process is not final. Stay tuned for upcoming actions to push our elected officials to do the right thing, and email politicalteam@nysna.org to get involved. Nurses cannot back down from this fight. We must protect Medicaid! Our patients’ lives depend on it. | | | |  | CVPH Nurses Speak Out for Safe Staffing On Wednesday, May 21, NYSNA members at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) held a speak-out to demand safe staffing. In April, management unilaterally lowered safe staffing standards in four medical surgical units, putting patient care at risk and violating New York's safe staffing law and NYSNA members’ contract. Fox 44, NBC 5 and WCAX 3 covered the speak-out. Nurses had a clear message for management: CVPH must listen to the nurses and reverse these changes. It’s unacceptable that CVPH changed staffing ratios without consulting frontline staff — including nurses, who are the experts in safe, quality patient care. Lowering staffing standards won't fix chronic understaffing, but hiring and retaining more nurses and investing in safe patient care will. | | | |  | H+H Nurses and PAGNY Midwives Speak Out at H+H Annual Meeting at H+H/Jacobi On Tuesday, May 20, New York City Health+Hospitals (H+H) nurses and Physician Affiliate Group of New York (PAGNY) Bronx midwives showed up at NYC H+H’s annual meeting at H+H/Jacobi Hospital to demand a reversal of nurses’ unfair sick leave policy and a fair contract for midwives! Council Member and New York City Council Majority Leader Amanda Farias joined the nurses and midwives in support of their demands. State Senator Nathalia Fernandez, Assembly Member John Zaccaro Jr, and Council Member Kevin C. Riley offered support on social media for the nurses. Nurses and midwives shared powerful testimony with Bronx board members. Nurses expressed how the new policy was pressuring them to work sick, potentially placing public health at risk at a time public healthcare is already under attack. During the meeting, H+H CEO, Mitchell Katz, MD, announced that DC37 will be negotiating with the city on the sick time issue. DC37 is in solidarity with NYSNA’s campaign, so this is a hopeful development. This is the third annual meeting nurses have attended to demand a reversal of this policy change. NYSNA members will discuss next steps and recommendations at the June 4 Executive Council meeting. Stay tuned for registration information for a full membership meeting soon after. PAGNY midwives shared how PAGNY was undervaluing the life-saving, compassionate care midwives provide by dragging their feet on settling a fair contract. Last week, 98% of midwives voted yes to authorize a strike if PAGNY continues to deny midwives the respectful wages and fair contract they and their patients deserve. It’s time for NYC H+H and PAGNY to listen to these caregivers! | | | | Gracie Square Hospital Nurses Win Workplace Violence Arbitration NYSNA nurses at Gracie Square Hospital have experienced an increase in workplace violence incidents during the past few years. This is due in part to the closure of many psychiatric units throughout New York City and a mental health crisis that has only worsened since the COVID-19 pandemic. Gracie Square nurses are seeing more patients with more acute psychiatric symptoms, which can also mean patients who are prone to unpredictable and violent behaviors. Despite these factors, Gracie Square management has refused to implement safe staffing levels for nurses, increasing the likelihood of nurses experiencing workplace violence. In addition, the hospital refused to follow the NYSNA contract and support victims of these incidents by providing the paid time away from work needed to recover from these incidents. Nurses filed a grievance to address management’s failure to honor the contract, which turned into an arbitration that nurses recently won! On Monday, May 19, the arbitrator found there was a clear violation of the contract language stating that, "The clear and unmistakable intent is that, when employees must miss work due to a workplace violence incident to seek medical or psychological care, or to legal recourse against the assailant, they shall receive full pay without charge to their accruals.” Nurses at Gracie Square Hospital will continue their fight for nurse and patient safety when they go back to arbitration about safe staffing in July. Congratulations, Gracie Square NYSNA nurses! | | | | NYSNA Responds to NYP Cuts Announcement While NYNSA nurses and healthcare workers are fighting egregious attacks on Medicaid by the federal government, we are also fighting employers who are taking advantage of this critical moment to put profits over patients. On May 5, NewYork Presbyterian (NYP) Health System, the wealthiest hospital system in New York City, announced 2% cuts across the board, which could mean more than 1,000 healthcare workers will lose their jobs. LoHud and The Chief Leader covered the cuts announcement and NYSNA’s response, where Jaiveer Grewal, a nurse at NYP-Columbia; Aldrich Crispino, a nurse at NYP-Brooklyn Methodist; and Renee Mauro, a nurse at NYP-Hudson Valley Hospital, decried the planned layoffs by saying, “If NYP truly needs to cut expenses, they should look at the compensation of the dozens of millionaires on their payroll or in areas that will not reduce the staff and services that our patients rely on.” NYSNA nurses are demanding financial transparency, a reversal of the cuts to frontline staff and guaranteed placement of displaced nurses in the NYP hospital system. Read NYSNA’s press release here. | | | | Montefiore Weiler Nurses Win Staffing Arbitration! This week, nurses on the 10 North medical surgical unit of Montefiore Weiler hospital fought back against understaffing on their unit and won! Patient acuity had increased on the unit, and management increased bed capacity but not staff. The unit had up to four hallway beds, where Montefiore sometimes assigns patients who cannot safely access a restroom and who should be in isolation due to potential infectious diseases. Hallway patients do not have a call bell but rather need to use a bellhop-type bell or yell for assistance, making caring for these patients a challenge for nurses. Nurses filed 150 protests of assignment, and five nurses gave compelling testimony describing the high acuity and difficulties in providing patient care that they experience on a daily basis. The arbitrator found that there was a pattern of understaffing on the unit, which created an excessive workload for nurses, and awarded a total of $84,515. Congratulations, Monte nurses! | | | | Calling All Members: Labor Ed Courses and Summer 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, 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. | | | |  | NYSNA Attends the Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists This week, NYSNA attended the 54th International Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. The theme of this year’s convention is “Preserving and Building on Our Legacy: Unbought, Unbowed, Unstoppable.” NYSNA nurses joined other NNU affiliates from around the country to hear from national labor leaders fighting for labor and racial justice. NYSNA and NNU spoke in favor of a resolution supporting Medicare for All. The resolution passed, affirming black labor leaders’ support for universal healthcare as a matter of health equity and worker justice. | | | |  | 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. | | | | 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. | | | |  | 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
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. | | | | UPDATED: Labor Strong 2025 Coalition and NYSNA Endorsements 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
| | | | Take Action: Urge Congress to Oppose Casey Means’ Nomination to Surgeon General National Nurses United (NNU) and Defend Public Health (DPH) are joining together to condemn the nomination of Casey Means for U.S. surgeon general. Her unscientific, anti-vaccine rhetoric poses a serious threat to public health. Means has touted unscientific viewpoints, including promoting raw milk consumption as superior over pasteurized products and spreading false claims about supposed dangers of vaccines. Giving her the platform of the surgeon general role will only harm public health. The surgeon general should provide Americans with the best scientific information on how to improve their health and oversees the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which is vital to emergency and disaster response, such as infectious disease outbreaks. Nominating Means is another scheme by the billionaire class to trick Americans into giving up our vital health protections so that they and their billionaire friends can get richer. Read NNU’s full press release here and take action to oppose Means’ nomination by calling on Congress to reject her nomination. | | | | 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. | | | | 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 one last live online session 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 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
