| | A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members | May 30, 2025 | |  | | | NYSNA Celebrates Pride Month June is Pride Month! NYSNA celebrates our LGBTQ+ members, colleagues and patients and renews our commitment to fighting for the LGBTQ+ community’s rights and healthcare. At a time when LGBTQ+ rights are under attack, especially for trans and gender nonconforming people, it is more important than ever that we fight to ensure LGBTQ+ patients receive the care, dignity and respect they deserve. Join NYSNA at various Pride celebrations this month: Buffalo Pride on June 1, Albany Pride on June 8, and New York City Pride on June 29. | | | |  | NYSNA Nurses at NYP Speak Out Against Cuts and Layoffs NYSNA nurses are fighting back against NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) Hospital’s plan to cut services and lay off nurses throughout the system. On May 5, on the eve of Nurses Week, NYP Health System executives announced 2% cuts across the board, which could mean more than 1,000 healthcare workers will lose their jobs. On Tuesday, May 27, NYP-Columbia NYSNA nurses attended a Community Board 12 meeting calling on board members and community members to take action to stop the cuts and support safe, quality care. Pediatric nurse practitioners and palliative care nurses who were notified they would be laid off gave powerful testimony about the impact this loss of service will have on their patients, their colleagues and the community. NYNSA nurses also expressed their deep frustration that as healthcare workers are fighting the federal government’s egregious attacks on Medicaid, they are also being forced to fight their employer — the wealthiest healthcare system in New York City — for taking advantage of this critical moment to put profits over patients. After the meeting, over 150 people emailed letters to NYP CEO Steve Corwin and the board of trustees. NYSNA nurses have the momentum and will continue fighting to stop these egregious cuts. | | | | Albany Med Nurses Hold Legislative Briefing for Allies On Thursday, May 29, NYSNA nurses at Albany Medical Center held a virtual legislative briefing to update New York elected officials and labor and community allies on the status of contract bargaining and the New York Department of Health (DOH)’s investigation of Albany Med. Nurses reminded briefing attendees that it has been almost one year since the DOH’s initial visit to Albany Med on June 4, 2024. Since this visit, the DOH issued a deficiency report with over 500 violations that Albany Med hid from nurses for months. The nurses’ struggle has garnered extensive press coverage and a letter of support from New York elected officials. Despite the hospital’s disregard for the law, the DOH has yet to issue any fines. Nurses are urging legislators and community allies to help them hold the hospital accountable and apply pressure to the DOH to do the same. The nurses plan to turn up the heat at a speak-out on June 5 and call on Albany Med’s Board of Trustees to address the violations that the DOH outlined and help settle a fair contract for nurses. Without action, nurses contend this law-breaking behavior will continue; nurses will continue to leave the hospital; and patient care will continue to be put at risk. Their next bargaining date is June 12, and they will continue to fight for safe staffing and a contract that respects nurses and patients. | | | |  | 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. This past week, they were in Buffalo for a train-the-trainer session at Erie County Medical Center so members can begin hosting their own trainings. 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 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.”
Share our Save the Date flyer, and stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information and a link to register online. | | | | Join the Campaign for New York Health on How New York Can Fix the Healthcare Crisis! Last week, the House of Representatives passed a reconciliation bill that threatens to devastate healthcare in New York. While the bill is likely to change before reaching the White House, New York is preparing for significant cuts and coverage losses. In the face of the current healthcare crisis, the Campaign for New York Health, which NYSNA supports, continues to advocate for passing the New York Health Act as the best way New York can protect our healthcare and expand access to all New Yorkers. On Wednesday, June 4, NYSNA encourages members to join the Campaign for a virtual conversation with State Senator Gustavo Rivera and Michael Kinnucan from the Fiscal Policy Institute. The program, “The Healthcare Crisis Washington Created—And How NY Can Fix It,” will explore the proposed federal cuts, their impact on New Yorkers and how our state can take action to protect healthcare for all. Register here. | | | | 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. | | | |  | NYSNA Nurses Rally in Albany to Tackle Workplace Violence On Wednesday, May 28, NYNSA nurses joined fellow healthcare workers from 1199/SEIU and New York elected officials for a press conference to support the Workplace Violence Prevention Act. Assembly Members Angelo Santa Barbara, Demond Meeks and Catalina Cruz as well as State Senator Luis Sepulveda joined the nurses and healthcare workers in support. The bill would require hospitals to establish a violence-prevention program that includes a workplace safety and security assessment. It would also require healthcare facilities to develop a safety and security plan that identifies and addresses workplace violence threats or hazards. NYSNA nurse Tonia Bazel, RN, from Albany Medical Center, spoke in favor of the legislation. New York’s legislative session ends on June12, so nurses, advocates and elected officials are racing to try to pass this crucial legislation. | | | |  | NYSNA Nurses Hold Accountable New York Members of Congress Who Voted to Cut Medicaid This week, NYSNA nurses joined rallies in Long Island and Brooklyn, and they will be in Ossining this weekend to hold accountable New York members of Congress for voting on a reconciliation bill that includes cruel and extreme cuts to Medicaid and other social safety net programs. On Thursday, May 29, NYNSA Director at Large Flandersia Jones, MPH, BSN, RN, spoke at a rally in front of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis’ office to call her out for choosing billionaires over the working people in her district. In fact, Malliotakis cast the deciding vote that made the bill pass in the House of Representatives, opening the door for millions of New Yorkers to lose healthcare. NYSNA members in the Hudson Valley area are invited to join a Saturday, May 31, rally in Ossining to hold accountable Rep. Mike Lawler for voting to cut Medicaid and other vital services. These cuts follow this administration’s senseless campaign to lay off unionized federal employees and destroy the public sector workforce. Labor siblings from Communication Workers of America, 1199/SEIU, and community allies from Make the Road New York and Indivisible will also attend the rally. RSVP to the rally here. | | | |  | Parade Season is Here! Join Nurses at Pride, Puerto Rican Day 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 weekend, the celebration starts at Buffalo Pride on Sunday, June 1! And next weekend, join the largest celebration of Puerto Rican pride in the country at NYC’s Puerto Rican Day Parade, and join Albany Pride in the capital region on Sunday, June 8. Check out all June events below. - COMING UP! Buffalo Pride Parade
Sunday, June 1. Check out the flyer and register here. - COMING UP! Puerto Rican Day Parade
Sunday, June 8. Check out the flyer and register here. - COMING UP! Albany Pride Parade
Sunday, June 8. 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. | | | | 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 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." | | | | June Deadlines Coming Up for These Two 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 coming up on June 1, 2025. 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. | | | | | | | | 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. | | | | 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. 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 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
