Downstate Highlights Flushing Hospital Medical Center
internment costs for longtime member Jackie Wade.
NYSNA members at Flushing are proud to now have a full executive committee. A distressing fact post the COVID surge is that we have lost several RNs to retirement, including Maria Colella who retired in April 2021 after 31 years of service.
Northwell Health System
We recently signed off on our VEBA and are actively getting that retiree fund off the ground. This will ensure retired nurses are able to benefit from retiree health coverage. There have been multiple trustee meetings to get the final details finished, and the trustees participated in a VEBA training course. While COVID pandemic levels have decreased, nurses are still receiving premium pay for extra shifts. In other news, the Psych and CDU remain closed for use as COVID overflow units. The hospital recently launched a campaign to remodel the 5th floor. The plans don’t include enough space for nurses to have their own lockers and break rooms, and there will be a petition presented to the boss on this issue soon. The nurse practitioners at Flushing won an arbitration regarding their wages and nursing experience steps. This will result in thousands of dollars in increased funds for the NPs. The Flushing members were pleased to be able to fund the funeral and
Despite a larger operational base and generally stronger finances, COVID had a heavy impact on Northwell, the largest health system in New York State. In March NYSNA was able to negotiate Crisis Pay ($100-$150 for extra shifts worked) at all Northwell facilities. In April, a $2500 lump sum plus one week of PTO was negotiated at all facilities. In September, an agreement on vacation carryover was reached.
The Fight for a New Contract at Westchester Med Heats Up in 2021 At the start of the year, the Executive Committee entered Bargaining Training education with the Labor Education department to prepare for contract negotiations. The executive committee then selected the negotiation committee, alternates, and CAT leaders from the numerous departments, to ensure all units and shifts were well represented in the campaign. The Bargaining survey was released in April 2021 and over 600 nurses responded. The Negotiating Team had an all-day Contract Bargaining retreat session in July to strategically plan their contract campaign, table, and proposals. Utilizing the information and tools from the training, the team formulated a campaign plan and proposals that aligned with WMC members’ goals. We have successfully recruited 256 staffing captains at WMC to compliment our demand to finally build a comprehensive staffing grid with ratios at the major medical center. The committee plans on leveraging both the bargaining table and the state staffing law negotiations to achieve new staffing ratios.
Staffing and Crisis Pay Agreements Reached Across Long Island iFlushing Hospital RNsi
NYSNA nurses have fought for and won additional staffing and crisis pay
agreements for their members at both Northwell and Catholic Health facilities. As the pandemic continues to surge into 2022, Long Island members want to ensure their agreements to enhanced pay continue as over the duration of the staffing and COVID crisis. These pay agreements also help make the case for economic proposals on wages and retention, as most facilities on Long Island will be negotiating a new agreement in the next year and a half.
Mount Sinai System Staffing Fights Persist Across the Sinai System – West, Morningside, and Main Post COVID staffing has been erratic across the hospitals. Currently, there are major staffing issues in oncology (related to rapid increase of program and poor retention), Maternal Child Health (due to unpredictability of births), and a stepdown unit (poor recruiting), and Emergency Departments. Nurses on these units are involved in formulating a short and long-term plan. Three units (L&D, 11C Oncology and KCC4/5S) are currently at mediation for grid violations, where the nurses put a comprehensive settlement offer across the table and expect a response at the next meeting. A request was sent to meet and choose the tripartite panel neutral if the process fails. There have been numerous overtime incentives and recruitment incentives to improve the staffing levels on hard hit units. The results have been mixed with some levels of staffing being improved. The only true fix to this problem is the hiring of additional nurses.
New York Eye and Ear New York Eye and New York Eye (NYEE) members achieved a new contract in December 2021. The new agreement provides for great raises each year, continuing NYSNA Health coverage, and important job displacement language for NYEE nurses. Members recently Continued on page 22 2021: We are one
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