| | A Weekly Update for NYSNA Members | September 19, 2025 | |  | | | NYSNA Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month NYSNA celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month! This month and every month, we uplift the Hispanic community’s contributions and achievements in healthcare, labor and our country. | | | |  | Victory: St. Anthony Community Hospital Nurses Ratify Contract! NYSNA nurses at St Anthony’s Community Hospital ratified their new contract on Tuesday, Sept. 16, with an overwhelming majority of nurses voting yes on the ratification. All nurses will see immediate wage increases — up to 29% over the life of the contract! Nurses also won increases to preceptor and charge pay, educational differential, certification bonuses and a new uniform allowance. Additionally, health insurance costs will remain frozen for the duration of the contract. This contract will improve St. Anthony’s ability to retain and recruit nurses. Way to go, NYSNA nurses at St. Anthony’s Community Hospital! | | | |  | NYP Nurses March on the Boss, Deliver Platform Petition NYSNA nurses from NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) showed up to their third bargaining meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 17, ready to deliver their bargaining platform that thousands of nurses signed. They marched on the boss to present their platform and remind management that all nurses deserve access to attend bargaining in person and at the hospital where they work. Nurses then presented their initial proposals and expressed their commitment to do whatever it takes to win the contract that they and their patients deserve. NYP nurses know that when we fight, we win! | | | |  | Mount Sinai Nurses United to Bring Their Message to the Bosses On Wednesday, Sept. 17, NYSNA nurses from Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Morningside and West marched on their respective bosses to express their frustration over management’s refusal to offer an accessible bargaining location for nurses. Nurses shared that Mount Sinai’s proposal of bargaining in its midtown offices keeps nurses from being able to attend due to factors such as location, commute time and even the fact that the offices require NYSNA to provide a list of attendees’ names, adding a layer of intimidation to what should be an open process. Mount Sinai Morningside and West nurses made their point at their first bargaining session in the cramped and dingy Mount Sinai headquarters conference room. Across the park at Mount Sinai Hospital, members brought their demand for on-site bargaining to the boss at a labor-management meeting. The very next day, during the first day of negotiations for Mount Sinai main nurses, management agreed to on or near campus bargaining at Mount Sinai Hospital, -- the first of many victories for NYSNA nurses! While only one boss has moved to offer accessible bargaining so far, Mount Sinai members are united in their demands that all nurses deserve to participate in the bargaining process in or near their facilities. Stay tuned! | | | |  | Montefiore Nurses Stand Firm in Their First Contract Negotiation On Thursday, Sept. 18, NYSNA nurses met with Montefiore management for their first bargaining session. They presented a comprehensive slate of proposals and explained why each is important to NYSNA members and patients. There were over 70 nurses in person, and many more who joined virtually to show their strong support for NYSNA nurses’ proposals. Nurses set the expectation that management should be prepared to engage with their initial proposals at the next session. Montefiore nurses are calling on their colleagues to keep up the high turnout in bargaining to send a clear message to management that they are united in their fight for a fair contract! | | | |  | Check Out the Summer 2025 Issue of New York Nurse Magazine! This quarter’s issue of New York Nurse features a summary of the private sector campaign launch, an account of Albany Medical Center nurses’ successful fight to secure a fair contract, a 2025 General Election Voting Guide and more! Check it out on the NYSNA website here. | | | |  | Register for the 2025 NYSNA Convention: Strength in Solidarity! Join NYSNA members from across the state for the 2025 NYSNA Convention today to decide our union’s direction. The 2025 Convention will be held at Resorts World Catskills and the Kartrite Resort on Oct. 28 and 29 in Monticello, NY. This year’s Convention theme is “Strength in Solidarity.” Register online and enjoy an early bird rate if you register on or before Oct. 17. Check out the NYSNA website to review the Convention agenda and get the most up-to-date information on the Convention. The Complete Course Listing and Continuing Education Information is now available on the website! This year, NYSNA is excited to introduce the Cvent app, a central hub for NYSNA members to access key information and make the most of their time at Convention. The Cvent app gives NYSNA members access to the full schedule, allows them to plan their own schedule by adding sessions to their personal agenda, and notifies members of relevant updates and announcements. Cvent will also include a map of the Convention venue to help members find their way around. NYSNA will email all Convention registrants a personalized link to download and log in to the Cvent app as we get closer to the Convention. Stay tuned! | | | | Calling All Members: Labor Ed Courses and Fall 2025 Trainings Open for Registration NYSNA’s Labor Education Department is ready to come to your facility to train members to become union leaders. Sign up for Labor Education’s Taking Control of Our Meetings with Management, Bargaining Trainings on How to Become a Contract Action Team member, What is a Contract Campaign, Mobilizing Members & Rounding and more, taking place throughout the fall. Check out the updated fall schedule, and click here to register. Contact labored@nysna.org with questions or to request a training in your facility. | | | | This Saturday: Join NYSNA at the NYC Make Billionaires Pay Climate March! Join NYSNA's Climate and Environmental Justice Committee on Saturday, Sept. 20, to march in the Make Billionaires Pay March. NYSNA will be marching in the Make Polluters Pay contingent. This is in response to Climate Week, which is taking place in New York City this coming week, where world leaders are gathering at the United Nations General Assembly. This is a critical moment for NYSNA members to show up for climate justice. NYSNA nurses will meet this Saturday at 11:30 a.m. at Park Ave. and E. 50th St. in Manhattan. Register here. | | | | Your Rights to 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 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. | | | |  | THIS SUNDAY: Join NYSNA at the African American Day Parade This Sunday, Sept. 21, NYSNA nurses will close summer parade season by joining the historic African American Day Parade in Harlem. Join NYSNA members and their families to celebrate the legacy and history of African Americans in New York City! Register here. | | | |  | NYSNA Attends Bronx Dem Gala On Wednesday, Sept. 17, NYSNA members and leaders including NYSNA Director at Large Flandersia Jones, MPH, BSN, RN, NYSNA Southern Regional Director Alizia McMyers, MSN, MHA, BSN, RN, and NYSNA Director at Large Sonia Lawrence, BSN, RN, joined allies and elected officials in Throggs Neck for the annual Bronx Democratic Party Gala to honor the community leaders and elected officials who fight for the people of the Bronx. The gala honored former Assembly Member Latoya Joyner and Mike Prohaska, a retired union official from Laborers Local 79. Members greeted dozens of elected leaders, including Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, Assembly Member and nurse Karines Reyes, and Council Members Kevin Riley and Amanda Farias. | | | | New NYSNA Endorsements for 2025 General Elections! With Election Day less than two months away, NYSNA rolled out our first set of general election endorsements in local races throughout the state. Check out our endorsements of healthcare and labor champions on our website, and make your plan to vote today! Key Dates for General Election Season: - October 25, 2025 - November 2, 2025: Early Voting Period
- November 4, 2025: Election Day
| | | | Join These September Events in Support of the Campaign for New York Health As federal healthcare cuts barrel toward New York and threaten to overwhelm our hospitals, patients and communities, the Campaign for New York Health is launching a bold campaign to demand that New York fight back by passing the New York Health Act (NYHA) — the solution New York needs to protect healthcare for every New Yorker. Join these September events to support the passage of The New York Health Act: - NYHA Virtual Forum, Sept. 23, at 7:30 p.m. with Physicians for a National Health Program New York Metro. RSVP here.
- NYHA Speak-Out, Sept. 30, at noon at 919 Third Avenue, New York. RSVP here.
| | | | Ascension Health Investments Appear to Reject Vatican Guidance A new report by National Nurses United (NNU) probes the extent of Ascension Health’s violations of the Catholic Church’s guidelines for responsible investing. NNU researchers found that Ascension — one of the largest and wealthiest Catholic hospital chains in the United States — holds investments, valued at hundreds of millions of dollars, in weapons manufacturing; alcohol; gambling; and oil, gas, and mining industries that are destructive to the environment. A surge of historic unionization at Ascension since 2022 has been driven primarily by the hospital chain’s blatant refusal to provide nurses with adequate resources and staffing, in line with its own mission to provide “spiritually-centered, holistic care, which sustains and improves the health of individuals and communities.” The conditions that Ascension nurses are highlighting track with their investment choices and point to a broader pattern of Ascension’s greed. Read NNU’s press release here and its report here. | | | | NEW COURSES! Sign Up for New NNU Courses Free for NYSNA Members NNU is offering FREE virtual courses for NYSNA members throughout the summer. New fall 2025/winter 2026 courses have just been added. 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 the first box, “Yes, I am a CNA/NNOC/NNU member.” NEW fall/winter offerings: | | | |  | UPDATE: NYSED Allows Shortened Addendum Child Abuse Course for Those Who Recently Took the Update On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the New York State Department of Education announced an addendum syllabus for the mandated child abuse training. The addendum only includes the new content areas and allows anyone who recently took the child abuse course to obtain certification by taking only the updated portion of the program (one hour) instead of the full new three-hour course. NYSNA’s Nursing Education and Practice (NEP) is here to ensure all members have access to the updated portion of the course. We are creating an addendum training, which will be available for learners who recently took the training via NYSNA E-LeaRN starting on Oct. 1, 2025. It is free to NYSNA members on the NYSNA E-LeaRN website. Every person who is required to take the mandated training related to child abuse must take either the full three-hour course or the one-hour addendum portion of the training by Nov. 17, 2026. Check out the informational flyer to learn more about this new requirement. If you have any questions about your E-leaRN account, please contact NEP at Courses@NYSNA.org | | | | Med-Ed Continuing Education Discount NYSNA has partnered with Med-Ed Continuing Nursing Education to provide NYSNA members with full access to the complete Med-Ed catalogue at a 50% reduced rate. These are all self-study programs that members can access and complete at their leisure. You can access these course offerings by going to NYSNA’s members-only website here, then clicking on the Med-Ed website link, and entering the Promo Code NYSNAMEMBER at checkout, where the discount will apply. Please do not share this information with any nonmembers. | | | | 2025 Nurse Education and Practice Workshops 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. You must create an account and be signed in to search the full catalog of classes and register for them at no cost! Based on our members’ demands, NEP has also added the following workshops to our calendar in response to the learning needs assessment survey: | | | |  |  | 2026 Seminar at Sea Last year, NYSNA nurses sailed to Spain and Portugal while learning about resilience, emotional intelligence and how they connect to nursing. Next year, join NYSNA on an unforgettable weeklong cruise to China, South Korea and Japan set to sail in April 2026! This is an opportunity to visit beautiful countries while obtaining nursing continuing education credits and learning about the relevant and important topic of artificial intelligence in nursing practice and nursing education. Check out the informational flyer to learn about this unique and informative educational program. | | | | The Journal of the New York State Nurses Association The latest volume of The Journal of the New York Nurses Association is out now! You can read it here. 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. Read the guidelines for submission here. | | | | 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. | | | | | | | | | | 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. | | | | Factsheet: Preparing for Wildfire Smoke Smoke from wildfires has become a common feature in New York State and the surrounding area. Wildfire smoke is far more dangerous to human health than regular pollution and presents complex problems for medical facilities. Check out the latest NYSNA Factsheet from NYSNA’s Occupational Health and Safety team to learn more about how healthcare facilities can prepare for wildfire smoke conditions to keep their patients and staff safe. | | | | UPDATED NYSNA Health Alert: Cluster of Legionnaires' Disease in Harlem The New York City Department of Health (NYC DOH) is actively responding to a cluster of individuals with Legionnaires’ disease in Central Harlem. As of Aug. 29, there are 114 confirmed cases, seven deaths and 90 currently hospitalized. The NYC DOH is urging residents in ZIP codes 10027, 10030, 10035, 10037, and 10039 to seek medical attention if they experience flu-like symptoms. Additional cases are pending confirmation. New York City clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for legionellosis among all adults with pneumonia. Identification and diagnostic testing of Legionnaires’ disease is critical for informing treatment decisions and helping the NYC DOH identify and address outbreaks, particularly through matching clinical isolates to environmental isolates. Report legionellosis cases promptly to the local health department (LHD) where the patient resides. Report cases in New York City residents to the NYC DOH by calling the Provider Access Line at 866-692-3641. If you are unable to reach the LHD for cases outside of New York City, contact the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Communicable Disease Control at 518-473-4439. Read NYSNA’s factsheet and resources and the health advisory from the NYC DOH here. | | | | 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, insurance plans and more! Find out more on the AFL-CIO Union Plus website. | | | | | | The Talkspace Go App Is Mental Health on the Go! The Talkspace Go app is a great resource that provides 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. | | | | 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. Check out the September 2025 newsletter on National Preparedness Month. 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. Check out SPAN’s Compassion Project. Wellness Wednesdays: As part of its mission to promote a healthy lifestyle, SPAN is also offering a Self-Care Series that includes free Wellness Wednesday courses. Check out the full calendar of Wellness Wednesday offerings here. | | | | | | In solidarity,
Pat Kane, RN
Executive Director | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
