A Closer look at NYSNA: labor education

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 . 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 .

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 supported the Dec . 6 Bargaining Retreat which saw members from 36 local bargaining units participate .

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

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 Beginning in January 2021, labor education held monthly meetings with the WMC executive Committee, which includes several new members, to

Continued from page 11 assist their development as organizers and leaders . the WMC committee was released for a full-day on the first Wednesday of the month and two hours was set-aside for labor education training and leadership development . We developed a curriculum, adapted from Nurse leader trainings, that focused on rounding, organizing, assessing situations, one-on-one conversations, and preparing for bargaining . In July, labor education worked the field department on a day-long in-person bargaining training that was adapted from the two-day bargaining training conducted earlier for NYSNA staff and later in the summer for staff and bargaining committee leaders . ALBANY MEDICAL CENTER — STRIKE CAPTAIN TRAINING In December, when Albany Medical Center nurses moved to conduct a oneday strike, labor education coordinated with the organizing department to conduct general membership and strike captain training for AMC members and leaders . the training focused on Strike Captains role turning out their units for picket line duty and providing support and practice for the one-on-one conversations that captains were having with their co-workers . the trainings drew on the expertise of other departments as well, particularly legal and health and safety . labor education also promoted and helped support the establishment of an AMC Strike Captains What’s App group to facilitate communication among captains, staff, and executive Committee leadership . More than 100 members attended the trainings held in the weeks before the strike .

rAciAl JusTice TrAinings

In 2020 NYSNA committed the organization — members and staff — to a deeply transformative project to incorporate the struggle for racial justice into the core of our work as a healthcare union . After a series of presentations, facilitated conversations and an endorsed framework by the elected leadership in the summer and fall 2020, a curriculum was developed and offered to all staff . the trainings included: l the history of race; l understanding racism in the uS and in the labor movement; l understanding how the system of racism manifests; l the concept of differential treatment; l the strategy of divide and conquer; l an interactive session with a role plays on how to understand and interrupt oppressive moments; l a presentation on racism in healthcare — a historical perspective but small group work based on existing NYSNA programs about black maternal mortality, H+H, social determinants of health and how publicly funded healthcare programs are tied to the civil rights movement . A significant portion of the program (one fourth) was dedicated to group work around generating ideas for how to integrate racial justice into NYSNA’s existing work and how to talk to coworkers about the need to proceed with a racial justice agenda when encountering resistance .

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convenTion eDucATionAl ProgrAm

In addition to the two Staffing law classes mentioned above that were a key part of the educational programming connected with the 2021 NYSNA Convention, labor education developed two additional workshops: Advocacy in Bargaining, focused on the important leadership and organizing skills necessary for strong contract campaigns, including building contract action teams, assessments, and strategic escalation during the campaign . In Healthcare Justice for All, participants watched the documentary power to Heal about the Civil Rights movements crucial support for the passage of Medicare in the 1960s and discussed it’s relevance to today’s fight for single payer healthcare . labor education assisted other departments in the development and presentation of their educational program .

WeBinAr PAnel Discussions

labor education worked with H+H Area Co-Director Henry Rose to conduct a series of educational webinar panel discussions (for Black History Month, Women’s History Month, International Solidarity, etc .) featuring guest speakers and other nurse union leaders . the goal was to develop the political analysis and understanding among members by presenting outside speakers who discussed issues of race, class, gender and international solidarity in a manner that connects with members’ lived experiences .