Labor Education Report In 2021, NYSNA’s Labor Education Department deepened its commitment to centering the experiences, skills, and expertise of NYSNA member and staff. The department offered a host of trainings and workshops. The intention was to offer workshops and programming that is more useful and practical for members organizing to improve working conditions and patient care. Through collaboration with the Field Department, our work supported NYSNA’s mission to advocate for nurses and patients. Below is a snapshot of trainings and workshops offered in 2021:
Nurse Leader Training In late February, Labor Education and Nursing Education and Practice completed the accreditation process for a revised, Zoom version of Member Leader Training. With input and guidance from the Member Engagement and Leadership Development Committee (MELD), we reorganized the content of what was formerly a two-part program conducted over two full days into four half-day sections (3.5 hours) to accommodate the limits of productive online learning.
Bargaining Training Beginning in February, Labor Education assisted with the creation and facilitation of a comprehensive twoday bargaining curriculum for staff and LBU leaders. The goal was to provide training for staff in all aspects of bargaining from organizing contract campaigns to leading the table as chief spokesperson. The curriculum tapped into the expertise and experience of NYSNA staff and members and included presentations, small group exercises, and large group discussions. One section on Working in Teams highlighted how NYSNA’s many departments (Legal, Research, PCO, Labor Education, NEP, Comms) all play a role in the contract process. The training also covered proposal writing, table tactics, bargaining committee rules, costing out, contract action teams, elements of a model contract campaign, and escalating tactics. The training was well received by staff and member participants and will be repeated more broadly for more members leading into 2022 bargaining. Labor Education also
Staffing Law Education In July, Labor Education developed a workshop to introduce members to the elements of the New York State staffing law and to begin engaging them in the many organizing tasks that are necessary to make the law a successful tool to improve patient care. The program began with introductory remarks from NYSNA President Nancy Hagans or another top leader, followed by an overview covering the staffing committee, the facility staffing plan, the law’s transparency and reporting requirements, enforcement, timeline, and the independent commission. After a questions and reactions, we went more deeply into the facility committee and the importance of developing collaborative relationships with the members and representatives of the non-nurse healthcare workers covered by the law. This workshop was offered in July, September and then during the NYSNA Convention in Oct.
Facility Specific Delegate and Leader Trainings
Each section is separately accredited (3 CEs/0.3CEUs). The four parts can be taken independently, in any order, or as a series. A test run for small groups was conducted in March and after some modifications, the full series was run again in April. A second series was conducted in April and May, and a third in July and August. (A fourth series had been scheduled for September and early October. Part 1 of the September/ October series was conducted successfully but the three remaining parts conflicted with the heavily programmed weeks of the Convention educational series and were canceled. We are in the process of rescheduling them for the post-Convention period.) More than 200 nurses from facilities around the state participated and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
supported the Dec. 6 Bargaining Retreat which saw members from 36 local bargaining units participate.
Labor Education also offered training for the following facilities
New York Presbyterian Labor Education conducted two workshops in March for new stewards in the New York Presbyterian LBU. The trainings focused on the critical role that stewards play representing other members when they are being questioned by managers about alleged wrongdoings. The training was coordinated with the NYP staff representatives who provided reallife investigatory scenarios for the participants to discuss.
Westchester Medical Center
iAlbany Medical Centeri
Beginning in January 2021, Labor Education held monthly meetings with the WMC Executive Committee, which includes several new members, to Continued on page 12 2021: We are one
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