Central Catherine Dawson, MSN, RN, CNOR catherine.dawson@nysna.org
Lower Hudson/NJ Mary Lynn Boyts, RN MaryLynn.Boyts@nysna.org
Western John Batson, RN john.batson@nysna.org
Eastern Victoria Davis Courson, MSN, RN Victoria.Davis-Courson@nysna.org
Editor Kristi Barnes
Executive Editor Pat Kane, RN, CNOR
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We All Have a Stake in Protecting Care
Healthcare workers and patients throughout the country are fighting back against the proposed cuts to Medicaid that Congress is negotiating right now. NYSNA nurses have been doing our part in New York, marching and calling on members of Congress to not vote for any bill that has cuts to Medicaid. While we are fighting for healthcare justice, we are also bracing for devastation to our healthcare system if the proposed healthcare cuts go through. The Senate recently proposed even more extreme cuts to Medicaid than those that the House of Representatives passed in February.
A Battle on Two Fronts
Unfortunately, nurses not only have to fight against the federal government’s egregious attacks on healthcare but also those from their employers who are exploiting the federal chaos to prioritize their profits over patients. One prime example is NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) Health System — one of the wealthiest hospital systems in New York City and the state. On the eve of Nurses Week, NYP announced 2% staffing cuts across the board. NYSNA nurses are speaking up, pushing back and demanding financial transparency, a reversal of the cuts to frontline staff and guaranteed placement of displaced nurses in the NYP hospital system. We are joining with our union siblings at 1199SEIU and Communications
Workers of America (CWA) Local 1104 to stop the cuts.
Hospital administrators are planning to lay off 65 NYSNA nurses and nurse practitioners across three campuses — NYP-Columbia, NYPBrooklyn Methodist Hospital and NYP-Hudson Valley Hospital. The bulk of the cuts are at the flagship Columbia campus and will hit children and terminally ill patients especially hard. NYP plans to close the entire palliative care unit and a pediatric infusion center, forcing children’s families to travel farther for lifesaving care. NYP will also lay off approximately 120 1199SEIU frontline caregivers throughout the NYP system, including registered nurses at NYP-Queens.
NYP already struggles to hire and retain enough nurses for safe staffing, and NYP nurses won staffing arbitrations in two of the units now facing staffing cuts now. Layoffs will lead to more understaffing and less quality care for patients.
Profits Over Patients
The most sickening part of this situation is that NYP can afford to do better. Hospital administrators pointed to looming Medicaid cuts and “macroeconomic factors” in deciding to make the sweeping layoffs. But unlike many public, safety-net and rural hospitals around the state where a large portion of hospital revenue comes from Medicaid, only about 14.5% of NYP’s revenue comes from Medicaid.1
NYP finally released its public financials — after announcing the
cuts. The system had an 11% profit margin in 2024 across its operations and ended the year with a total of $800 million cash in hand.2 Its first-quarter revenues were up 4% compared to the same period last year.3 That’s very profitable for a nonprofit hospital. Most hospitals would be thrilled.
NYP’s executives are certainly living it up. This is a hospital where over 30 executives make more than $1 million a year and where CEO Steve Corwin made $14.6 million in salary, bonuses and perks in 2023.4 To add insult to injury, Corwin admitted in his town hall address announcing the layoffs that NYP is one of the most financially stable healthcare systems in the country. These cuts are not necessary. But even if they were, NYP executives chose to cut frontline staff — to the bone! If NYP is so worried about its bottom line, it should cut the fat. These greedy executives should look at their salaries to make cuts — not at their front line, where patients will suffer. There is no way this hospital can “stay amazing” without its dedicated nursing staff!
Setting the Wrong Example
With extreme cuts to Medicaid looming, this is a time when New York’s nonprofit healthcare providers should prioritize protecting quality care for patients, not protecting their profits by making unnecessary cuts to frontline staff and services. If NYP goes unchecked, other hospitals will surely follow its example.
NYSNA is one union — public and private, upstate and downstate, we are all in this together. An injury to one is an injury to all. If Congress passes these cuts, it will devastate rich and poor hospitals alike.
We need to unite as one union and fight back against both Medicaid cuts and staffing cuts. All nurses must continue to be on the frontlines of advocacy for our patients and remind our employers and elected officials to prioritize access to healthcare for all.
Advocating for patients. Advancing the profession.SM
OF DIRECTORS
I joined NYP nurses and union siblings from 1199SEIU and CWA Local 1104 to speak out against the cuts on June 11.
It’s Not Just Your Boss Who Needs to Listen to the Nurses
If you’ve been a NYSNA member for more than one minute, you have probably seen our signs, petitions, speak-outs and more calling on healthcare executives to “Listen to the Nurses.” We believe in this principle so strongly because the people who perform the work and who have the expertise should always have a seat at the table when decisions are made. When nurses and healthcare professionals have a voice in our working conditions and patient care conditions, those conditions improve.
And when we’re not even consulted on major decisions? Most of us can think of at least one time when we didn’t have a say and the outcome was less than ideal — even terrible. Maybe staffing cuts had a terrible ripple effect throughout the hospital. Maybe new construction made it more difficult to deliver patient care. Maybe a workplace violence initiative went nowhere because it didn’t address NYSNA members’ concerns.
Whom Will They Listen To?
What’s true of our bosses is especially true of our policymakers and politicians. They are even further disconnected from where the work happens. Often, they are making decisions that impact thousands or even millions of people with very limited knowledge of an issue. If you ever wondered how these outlandish ideas about solving the nurse staffing crisis through artificial intelligence, virtual nursing or the Interstate Nurse Licensure Compact make it into state or federal bills year after year, now you know. These policymakers are not listening to the frontline workers. They are listening to our bosses, CEOs and wealthy donors who leverage their lobbying power on behalf of their own profits — not what’s best for patients.
Our members sometimes ask me, “Why do nurses need to be involved in politics?” I tell them because our elected officials really need to listen to the nurses too! If politicians are making decisions about our patients, our practice and our healthcare system, we as nurses and healthcare professionals should have a voice. It’s not about partisan
politics; it’s about our principles.
Our principles as patient advocates require us to speak up and advocate for our patients beyond the bedside when necessary. The Code of Ethics for Nurses clearly states that nurses have a responsibility to advocate for patients as well as practices, policies and legislation to promote social justice and eliminate health inequities.1
So much of our political conversation has gotten divisive and even nasty, so I understand that not everyone will feel comfortable diving into political action. But using your knowledge and expertise to improve healthcare is not divisive or about any political party — it’s about upholding our professional responsibility to advocate for patients.
Nurses Lead With Our Principles
Being part of a union means that you’re never out there having to advocate all on your own. You have your colleagues’ support and your union’s resources to make an impact. When we travel to Albany or Washington, D.C.; make phone calls; or knock on doors before an important election, we are flexing our union power to make sure our elected officials hear our patient advocacy loud and clear. We are holding elected leaders accountable for their decisions that impact our patients, practice and communities.
Every year, NYSNA’s elected leaders come together at our annual Convention to vote on a policy and legislative platform2. Our platform
By Pat Kane, RN, CNOR(E) NYSNA Executive Director
has remained remarkably consistent for years, because it’s based on NYSNA nurses’ guiding principles of:
1) Protecting patients and maintaining the quality of healthcare in New York and nationally; 2) guaranteeing high-quality medical care and treatment is a human right; 3) protecting the rights, working conditions and economic security of nurses, healthcare providers and all working people; 4) ensuring democratic input and control of the allocation of healthcare resources in our communities; 5) actively addressing social determinants of health and their impact on health outcomes of patients and communities; 6) protecting our democracy; and 7) preparing for and responding to COVID-19 and other pandemics and public health crises.
I encourage all members to read through the full text of our platform. Our Convention resolutions are more than just words on paper — we aim to put them into action. And when we put our principles into action, we have seen that we can win.
When the fight for healthcare justice seems uphill or the tone of the political debate makes me frustrated, I like to keep NYSNA nurses’ principles in mind. I remind myself that if we do not demand that elected officials listen to the nurses, they will only listen to our bosses, and the change we want to see will fall further out of reach.
To get more involved in our political action work, email politicalteam@NYSNA.org
SOURCES
1 https://codeofethics.ana.org/provisions
2 https://bit.ly/2024convresolutions
NYSNA nurses met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer about safe staffing and Medicaid cuts.
Frontline nurses know that Medicaid saves lives. One in 3 adults and almost half of all children in New York rely on Medicaid, and Medicaid funds nearly half of all births.1 Many hospitals throughout the state receive most of their revenue from Medicaid.
In May, the U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill that includes tax cuts for the richest Americans while cutting nearly $1 trillion from healthcare, including Medicaid. The Senate still has a chance to make modifications to the House version of the bill. But as it stands, the bill decimates funding for Medicaid, a life-saving program, and places our patients — including some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers — in danger of losing access to healthcare. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that 16 million people will lose healthcare coverage due to cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and the Affordable Care Act (ACA).2 It’s also probable that such deep cuts will cause entire hospitals to close, laying off thousands of nurses and healthcare workers.
New York Impacts
The bill, as it currently stands, will strip healthcare coverage from
more than 1 million New Yorkers, deprive our state of $13.5 billion in federal funding annually and increase healthcare costs overall.
l Low-income adults, seniors, children, people with disabilities and legal residents will lose healthcare coverage.
l Burdensome work requirements and bureaucratic red tape will further restrict ACA and Essential Plan health insurance eligibility.
l Struggling healthcare facilities throughout the state will lose federal funding.
l Premiums will increase by an average of 50% for patients who buy coverage on the ACA exchange.
l The Fiscal Policy Institute estimates New York state alone will lose 79,000 healthcare jobs.3
Nurses Fight to Stop the Cuts
Saying that Medicaid is a lifesaving program isn’t hyperbole. A recent study that the National Bureau of Economic Research conducted found that the expansion of Medicaid has saved more than 27,000 lives since 2010.4 These findings confirm what nurses have been saying at every available opportunity, and they explain why we’ve been fighting these cuts at every turn.
In April, NYSNA joined National Nurses United on Capitol Hill to
NYSNA nurses protested proposed cuts to Medicaid and social programs at the “Hands Off” National Day of Action in Manhattan on April 5.
directly lobby Congress to reject any budget that includes Medicaid cuts and to reintroduce Medicare for All legislation. Nurses have hit the streets. They attended the “Hands Off” rallies in Buffalo, Albany, Westchester and New York City on April 5. Nurses took to the streets in Albany and New York City on International Worker’s Day (May 1). Throughout May, they joined with 1199SEIU to speak out and demand answers from members of Congress in their districts — from Dunkirk to Peekskill to Plattsburgh to Bay Shore. And in May and June, nurses gathered several times in Tarrytown, Melville and Manhattan to phone-bank members of Congress to stop the cuts.
NYSNA nurses have also been featured in national media calling on representatives to do the right thing and reject extreme budget cuts to line billionaires’ pockets. In April, USA Today5 published an opinion editorial by NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, where Hagans echoed the National Bureau of Economic Research study’s conclusions. “Cuts to our nation’s public service programs are premature death sentences for many of our nation’s patients. As an ICU nurse of more than 30 years at a safety net hospital in Brooklyn, New York, I know this to be true,” she said in defense of Medicaid and Social Security.
The Fight Is Not Over. We Must Protect Medicaid
The bill is not a done deal. The Senate still has to vote, and nurses and healthcare workers can still pressure Congress to make changes. Until both chambers of Congress pass the bill and the president signs it into law, nurses and healthcare workers still have a chance to speak up and fight for their patients.
Nurses are patient advocates, and their voices matter.
Stay tuned for upcoming actions to push our elected officials to do the right thing. You can email politicalteam@nysna.org to get involved. Nurses cannot back down from this fight. We must protect Medicaid! Our patients’ lives depend on it.
NYSNA Nurses Fight to Protect Healthcare in New York and Beyond
This spring, nurses have consistently sounded the alarm on the devastating impact that extreme federal cuts to healthcare will have on patient safety. After hundreds of NYSNA members turned out for an incredibly powerful budget Lobby Day in Albany in March, union nurses and healthcare professionals won many of our priorities in this year’s state budget. Our advocacy successfully increased healthcare funding for safety-net hospitals and financially distressed hospitals, Medicaid reimbursement rates, funding to support SUNY Upstate hospital and funding to keep SUNY Downstate hospital open for care. NYSNA members also protected quality care and nurse practice standards. The budget rejects harmful proposals that would have endangered patients and undermined the nursing profession, including joining the Interstate Nurse Licensure Compact and expanding hospitalat-home programs.
Legislative Victories
Nurses and healthcare justice advocates called on Albany lawmakers to pass critical legislation, and lawmakers answered the call. We had a breakthrough in the last week of New York state’s legislative session when lawmakers passed the Workplace Violence Prevention Act (S5294A/A203A). This bill will require hospitals and nursing homes to develop and implement comprehensive workplace violence safety and prevention programs and improve security in emergency rooms.
NYSNA joined 1199SEIU caregivers to lobby for this legislation, because frontline healthcare workers know all too well that workplace violence is an epidemic in healthcare. We are hopeful that this law will help better protect the health and safety of nurses and other frontline caregivers as well as our patients and their families.
Advocating for Patient Rights and Dignity
At last year’s Convention, members passed a resolution in favor of New York’s Medical Aid in
Dying
Act (S138/A136). At the recent Lobby Day, nurses met other advocates in the Capitol who were lobbying for the bill and were energized by the momentum this year. Denise Griffin, RN, a nurse at Adirondack Medical Center and a sponsor of the Convention resolution, described how she had to correct misconceptions that a lawmaker had about the bill, saying, “I had to explain that this bill is about having a peaceful ending for your life, if you choose. You have to be mentally capable. It’s a decision that only you can make.”
The legislation will allow people diagnosed with terminal illness and a less-than-six-month prognosis to seek medical assistance in ending their lives by allowing them to obtain and self-administer medications to end their lives. The law contains safeguards to ensure that they are acting voluntarily and allows medical staff to opt out of participating on moral/ethical grounds.
Saving Healthcare Services
NYSNA is at the forefront of the fight to save healthcare services and prevent hospital closures. We are pleased that the Legislature passed the LICH Act (S7954/A8355), which requires a public hearing and demonstration that local health needs or healthcare equity would not be negatively affected before the Department of Health can approve an operator’s application to close an entire hospital or eliminate or reduce hospital units or services.
NYSNA is urging the governor to sign all of these bills into law to advance healthcare justice. Even then, we know our work is not done. NYSNA members remain committed to fighting for healthcare justice priorities, such as fully enforcing safe staffing standards, improved recruitment and retention of nurses and healthcare professionals, healthcare for all and more.
NYSNA and NNU Nurses Speak Out in Washington, D.C.
At a time when critical programs such as Medicaid are at risk of the federal government gutting them, NYSNA nurses are amplifying our voices by advocating alongside nurses from our national affiliate, National Nurses United (NNU). Together, we have a stronger and more powerful voice to speak out on issues that affect nurses and patients.
On April 29, hundreds of nurses gathered in Washington, D.C., to rally and lobby members of Congress from across the country. We started on the Capitol steps, speaking out with lawmakers to introduce Medicare for All. The bill would guarantee free healthcare for all based on patient needs — not industry profits.
NYSNA nurses met with members of Congress to advocate for legislation that would set federal safe staffing ratios and for the passage of the Workplace Violence Prevention Act, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act, the Veteran Affairs Employee Fairness Act and the Medicare for All Act. We met with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and explained the struggles nurses face at the bedside and how Medicaid saves lives. We met with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to share the importance of safe staffing standards, workplace violence prevention and union rights. NYSNA nurses also joined the chorus of voices demanding commitments from members of Congress to vote no on any federal budget package that contains cuts to Medicaid.
After the lobby visits, union nurses came together on April 30 to introduce Medicare for All. The bill would guarantee free healthcare for all based on patient needs — not industry profits.
Congratulations to all the nurses who are getting engaged in politics to advocate for our patients, practice and communities. We know the fight doesn’t end here. NYSNA and NNU nurses will continue to raise our voices to advocate and win policies that advance health equity and worker justice.
NYSNA and NNU nurses lobby in Washington, DC.
Westchester Medical Center Nurses Win Retiree Health Grievance
When Westchester Medical Center violated NYSNA nurses’ contract by changing the criteria for NYSNA members to receive retiree health benefits, nurses fought back by filing a grievance. They organized active and retired NYSNA members to gather evidence of past practice, and they won! Nurses who were unfairly denied retiree health benefits will get their benefits back on top of being reimbursed for money they spent on health insurance, including COBRA. Congratulations, Westchester Medical Center nurses, on enforcing the contract and ensuring nurses can retire with dignity.
ECMC Nurses Organize and Win Paid Family Leave
In May, NYSNA nurses at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) and Terrace View Long-Term Care voted overwhelmingly to opt in to New York’s Paid Family Leave program. The program serves as a critical resource for workers in New York, offering job protection and paid time off after the birth of a child, when a member of their household is sick or if a family member is overseas on deployment. Before the vote took place, nurses organized to successfully pressure ECMC management to agree to provide this essential benefit. While private sector workers are automat-
ically included in the Paid Family Leave program, public sector workers must lobby their employers for access to the program. NYSNA nurses at ECMC saw the potential good of the program and were able to bargain with management to get them to agree to offer the Paid Family Leave program to all union nurses.
The Campaign to Educate Members
After winning an agreement from management to offer Paid Family Leave, nurses needed a majority of members to vote to opt in to
the program. Nurses made rounds throughout the hospital, talking to their colleagues about the need for this type of leave in both planned and unplanned situations and answering questions.
Roget Trusdale, RN, who is currently expecting a child, said “I have the worries of how I’m going to be able to afford to stay home. If I had the paid family leave now, it would make things a lot easier.” With the additional three months of paid leave that the program offers, Roget’s maternity leave will double, giving her more time to bond with her newborn and recover from giving birth. In addition to nurses’ work on the ground, nurses also recorded videos for social media about their vote to opt in and why public sector nurses deserve access to the program.
A Win for All ECMC Nurses and Their Families
After two days of voting, the overwhelming majority of members voted to opt in to the Paid Family Leave program. Now, thanks to the hard work and dedication of NYSNA members at ECMC, all nurses at the hospital have access to this groundbreaking—and potentially life-changing—benefit. Congratulations, ECMC nurses!
H+H Nurses Organize to Reverse Sick Leave Policy
New York City Health + Hospitals (H+H)/Mayorals nurses are fighting a punitive sick leave change that reduces nurses’ sick leave and pressures them to work sick. Nurses have been demanding a return to past practice so that nurses and hospital leaders can focus on the existential
issues that the health system is facing, like the looming federal cuts to Medicaid and safe staffing. Since March, nurses have turned out in force to rally at NYC H+H/Kings County, and at annual meetings at NYC H+H/South Brooklyn Health and NYC H+H/Jacobi to testify on the impact of this unfair change. Nurses also continued their button campaign reminding hospital administrators that, “If We Work Sick, Our Patients Can Get Sick!”
Nurses Speak Out and Gain Support
In their testimonies to the H+H board, nurses expressed that a policy change that punishes nurses for using sick leave and pressures them to work sick endangers both nurses and patients. Nurses have consistently reminded H+H leadership that their role on the front lines exposes them to infectious disease, and they have called out management for penal-
izing nurses for getting sick and requiring them to use more of their hard-earned sick leave.
At nurses’ last rally and speakout at H+H/Jacobi in May, H+H President and CEO Mitchell Katz, MD, announced that DC37 AFSCME will be negotiating with the city on the sick time issue. DC37 is in solidarity with NYSNA’s campaign, so this is a hopeful development.
Not Backing Down
H+H nurses are not backing down. After attending three annual meetings to demand a reversal of this policy change and gaining the support of New York City and New York elected officials, NYSNA nurses are keeping up the pressure by continuing member organizing. NYSNA members discussed next steps and recommendations at their June Executive Council meeting.
Nurses rallied at NYC Health+Hospitals/Kings County on April 23 to demand a reversal to the sick leave policy.
Honoring Mothers by Following in Their Footsteps
This Mother’s Day, we interviewed a mother-son duo that has collectively spent decades fighting for safe patient care, respect for nurses and better healthcare for their community. Margaret Pinsker, RRNC, BSN, MA, ANP, and her son Russell Pinsker, RN, are retired and current NYSNA nurses, respectively, at Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. They recently spoke to us about caretaking and the future of nursing.
Q: Margaret, how did you balance motherhood with work?
A. Margaret Pinsker: I was a nurse before I became a mom, and I am so glad I had my nursing pediatric experience before I had children. I worked with kids who were dying. Reflecting back, they were heavy years. Like most women, you look at life on a daily basis and think, “OK, this is what’s on my plate; how am I going to manage today?” My husband was extremely supportive. I learned extreme focus, which was so helpful for parenting. And like in nursing, you’re constantly resetting priorities. Every day, you receive new information and think about how to reset your priorities.
I realized that as children age, you can never get time back. I made sure that I took advantage of the time I had with them because I knew there would never be more moments at this stage.
Q: Russell, how did having a nurse as a mother influence your childhood?
A. Russel Pinsker: Of course, I only had one childhood, so I can’t compare it to anything else. But I remember the sacrifices she made and how she moved things around to be at work and with us at important events. I grew up in a true blue-collar home. My parents were always working, but there was always one of them with us. Most of my friends had their mothers at home. Mine was always working. But she was always active, at activities and at school events. I realize now the sacrifices that were made for me to be where I am today.
I remember her work because she used to drag us to her job in nurs-
ing education. I knew she educated nurses, but it wasn’t until I was older that I understood what she did. And even though I know statistically people follow their parents’ career paths, it wasn’t until much later that I considered nursing as a profession — not until I shadowed in a pediatric clinic.
I remember when I was young, and my mom brought me to the strike line. I still remember the slogan. My mom has a really strong sense of righteousness and justice, and it’s what she instilled in me as a child. That’s why I’m involved in NYSNA today.
Q: Margaret, what does caregiving mean to you?
A. Margaret: Caregiving means striving for 100%. It means giving it all. When I reflect on my career, I can see all the things you learn to do, all the technical things that become automatic. But then there are these moments that stick with you, that never leave you.
I remember my first patient who died. I still remember who was admitted and by the end of that 12-hour shift died. A child in a coma woke up, finished building his rocket, and then went back to
sleep and died. Why was I there for that? You remember these challenging moments, but then you also remember the positive things, when you helped people, when you felt good about a patient. These kinds of things keep you going. But they also never leave you.
I got involved with NYSNA and hoped to help the public understand what a nurse is. People don’t understand what we do. And that awareness of the type of care we give is important.
Q: What does supporting the next generation of nurses mean to you?
A. Margaret: We need to invest in the next generation of nurses. I taught in the baccalaureate program at Long Island University. Nurses need a lot of support if they’re going to be successful. With the way that the pandemic changed our education, it’s vital that we support young nurses.
A. Russell: If a profession is going to continue, we need to invest in the next generation. The struggle hasn’t changed; it’s just a different time. I’m continuing the work my mom left off. At the end of the day, we fight for the same things. We fight for our patients, and we fight for nurses.
Nursing then and now. Margaret Pinsker in her early years as a nurse.
Russell Pinsker at a pinning ceremony with his mother in his early years as a nurse.
NYSNA Members Celebrate Nurses Week
Nurses spend all year fighting for safe staffing, better working conditions and respect. But every year during Nurses Week, they take time to celebrate and be celebrated.
This year, celebrations kicked off with a bang with events at Northwell/Plainview Hospital on Long Island; Nathan Littauer Hospital in the capital region; and Mt. Sinai Morningside, Mt. Sinai West, and NYC Health+Hospitals (H+H)/Harlem and H+H/Kings County in New York City. Nurses received gift bags and ate meals together, and many discussed their upcoming contract fights and filled out bargaining surveys.
Elected officials and community allies — including New York City Council Members Mercedes Narcisse, Justin Brannan, Sandra Ung, Lynn Schulman and Carmen De la Rosa as well as Westchester County Legislator Emiljana Ulaj at Westchester Medical Center — joined nurses.
What Does Nurses Week Mean to NYSNA Nurses? Some nurses were celebrating Nurses Week for the first time, while others had been celebrating for decades.
Janice Jones, RN, a nurse at H+H/Woodhull who is on orientation and celebrating her first Nurses Week, said the celebration is exciting. “It’s very motivating to know that nurses are valued and to see that.”
Noelia Lopez, RN, a pediatric nurse from H+H/Lincoln, said her favorite part of nursing “is educating parents and seeing them become more confident. Nurses Week is about recognition—to recognize the important work we do every day and to celebrate each other.”
Monley Adams, NP, a nurse of over 21 years at Maimonides Medical Center, said Nurses Week is about championing each other. “It’s a week where we recognize each other and the care and support we give to each other throughout the year. Let’s continue to be supportive. We have a lot of new nurses coming into the fold, and we have to continue to let each other know that we are there for each other.”
Samantha Oreshan, RN, a nurse at Albany Medical Center, said, “Nurses Week reminds me why I chose this path—to be a steady hand in the tiniest, most fragile moments of life. As a NICU nurse, I don’t just care for premature babies—I fight for futures, support scared families and witness miracles in the making every day.”
NYC H+H/Lincoln
Carthage Area Hospital
Westchester Medical Center
Northwell/Long Island Jewish Valley Stream
Oneida HospitalHealth
St. MedicalJoseph’sCenter
Mount Sinai South Nassau
Maimonides Medical Center
Hospital administrators have finally admitted they have a staffing problem.... Our next step is negotiating enforceable safe staffing standards in our union contract.”
– Jen Bejo, RN
One Year Later, Albany Med Nurses Are More Energized Than Ever
For over one year, NYSNA nurses at Albany Medical Center have been fighting to defend safe, quality patient care in the capital region. On June 4, 2024, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) launched an investigation into understaffing at the hospital. Approximately one year later, the DOH finally leveled historic fines against Albany Medical Center, citing the hospital for more than 500 violations of New York’s safe staffing law. These long-awaited fines, alongside the outpouring of support that NYSNA nurses received, has members feeling more energized than ever in the fight for a fair contract.
April Escalation
Nurses built steady moment all spring. In early April, labor and community allies from across the capital region joined forces, penning a letter in solidarity1 with the NYSNA nurses at Albany Medical Center. The allies cited the staffing deficiency report and called on hospital leadership to settle a fair contract for nurses and follow New York’s safe staffing law.
Later that month, Albany Med CEO Dr. Dennis McKenna challenged nurses to show up to bargaining to directly ask him questions. He assured them that he would listen.
Nurses met his challenge, packing the room with nearly 100 people. Many nurses heard for the first time how dismissive he was of their concerns and how disrespectful hospital negotiators are. NYSNA nurses decided to launch a petition in response, demanding that McKenna stop talking about union “choice” and start negotiating a fair contract that gives nurses real choice over their working conditions.
Solidarity Is Strong
In May, labor and community allies continued to show their support, hosting a 500-person event2 in celebration of May Day and in solidarity with NYSNA nurses at Albany Med. Union members marched alongside nurses to the Office of Veterans’ Affairs to protest federal job cuts, healthcare and social services cuts, and attacks on workers’ rights.
One week later, elected officials sent a letter3 to the DOH demanding that it take action to hold Albany Med accountable. The coalition of legislators — including Assembly Members Gabriella Romero, Angelo Santabarbara, Phil Steck and Scott Bendett — said: “We are calling on the DOH to follow through on the administrative actions the law requires. We cannot think of another instance where fines or further actions against a
hospital are more warranted than in Albany Medical Center’s case.”
Speaking Out for What We Deserve
Nurses, elected officials and community allies spoke out on the one-year anniversary of the DOH investigation. They described continued understaffing in the neonatal intensive care unit and McKenna’s continued efforts to hide the truth. They presented the petition that approximately 1,000 Albany Med nurses signed, demonstrating that a majority of nurses were united. They called on the Albany Med Board of Trustees to step in and help them address the staffing crisis and settle a fair contract.
Days after our speak-out, the DOH leveled historic fines against Albany Med, ordering the hospital to pay $375,000 to New York state. These fines — the largest to date — are the result of tireless advocacy from nurses at Albany Med who have continued to speak out about the staffing crisis at the hospital. These fines — alongside the settlement and the hospital’s admission of guilt — validate nurses’ concerns about the detrimental impact that understaffing has on patient care in the capital region. They also send a message to other hospitals across the state that no one is above the law.
NYSNA leader Jen Bejo, RN, said: “Hospital administrators have finally admitted they have a staffing problem. Nurses hope that the DOH’s enforcement of the staffing law will get us closer to achieving safe patient care. Our next step is negotiating enforceable safe staffing standards in our union contract.”
After finally seeing action from the DOH and engaging so many new nurses in the fight, NYSNA nurses at Albany Med are feeling more united and powerful than ever before. They are energized by the solidarity they’ve received and remain committed to their fight for safe staffing and the fair contract that both nurses and patients deserve!
NYSNA members pose with a petition that nearly 1,000 Albany Medical Center nurses signed.
Nathan Littauer Nurses Ratify New Contract, Defend Patient Care in Fulton County
Since last fall, NYSNA members at Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville have been fighting to protect safe, quality patient care in their community. As the only hospital in rural Fulton County, the hospital provides critical health services for over 50,000 people, including birthing people and newborns as well as a growing number of Medicaid patients from the surrounding area. But routine understaffing, subpar wages and benefits, and a lack of investment from management have led to a revolving door of nurses at the hospital.
On Friday, June 6, NYSNA nurses voted to ratify a new contract, which was filled with hard-earned victories. Nurses’ main concerns during the contract fight were safe staffing, fair pay and the high cost of health insurance for families. Recognizing the impact that high insurance costs have on families and refusing to give in to management, NYSNA members were able to reduce the cost of family healthcare plans without increasing the cost for individuals, as management
proposed. Nurses were also able to secure wage increases of up to 21% over the course of three years.
Path to Victory
NYSNA nurses stepped up the pressure on the hospital and campaigned for months for a fair contract. They marched on the boss and held a speak-out to demand that management return to the bargaining table and settle a fair contract with safe staffing and a real plan to recruit and retain nurses. They got the word out in the com-
munity through lawn signs. They escalated their campaign in late April and held an informational picket, echoing their demands for a fair contract that invests in safe, quality patient care in Fulton County. Community, labor and elected leaders showed up in solidarity with Nathan Littauer nurses. Nathan Littauer nurses remind us all that when we fight, we win — and to never give up in the fight to defend safe, quality patient care for the communities we serve! Congratulations, Nathan Littauer nurses!
Northwell/Huntington Hospital Nurses Fight for a Fair Contract
Fighting for Long Island Patients
NYSNA nurses at Northwell/ Huntington Hospital have been negotiating with Northwell Health management for a fair first contract with safe staffing standards, a plan to retain experienced nurses, and respectful wages and benefits. Nurses set a spring deadline with management to get the strong contract they deserve, but Northwell has stalled on meeting nurses’ demands. On June 10, nurses organized an informational picket to show Northwell that they are united for safe patient care and a fair contract.
NYSNA Nurse Solidarity
Nurses at Northwell/Huntington Hospital have not only been focused on winning a fair contract at their facility; they have also supported other Long Island nurses in their contract fight. When Northwell/South Shore University Hospital nurses voted
to go on strike this past February, Huntington nurses showed up in solidarity and spoke out in support of South Shore nurses.
In turn, when Northwell nurses learned that Huntington management was unwilling to negotiate a fair contract on-site at the hospital or at NYSNA offices, NYSNA nurses from Northwell/ South Shore and Northwell/Staten Island University Hospital joined in an email campaign to flood Northwell leadership’s inboxes and call on management to listen to Huntington nurses.
Boss Stalls, Nurses Organize
On May 14, Northwell/ Huntington nurses packed the room at their clinical staffing meeting to testify on the need for safe staffing in their units. And on May 15, they marched on the boss with over 425 petition signatures from nurses demanding a fair contract, presenting their petition directly to their
chief nursing officer and Northwell/ Huntington Hospital’s CEO.
On June 10, Huntington nurses, NYSNA nurses from other Long Island facilities, and labor and community allies showed their strength and union power at an informational picket to demand safe staffing and a fair contract. The rain did not deter Huntington nurses from marching and making their voices heard. During the information picket, nurses spoke out on the understaffing crisis at the hospital, especially in the emergency room, and made it clear that they will not give up until Northwell agrees to a fair contract. Huntington nurses are ready to come to an agreement, but if their bosses continue to stall, they are also prepared to escalate to win the contract they and their patients deserve.
NYSNA nurses at Nathan Littauer Hospital held an informational picket on April 24.
Dozens of NYSNA nurses walked the picket line in April — alongside elected officials, labor allies and community groups — to defend safe, quality patient care in Fulton County.
Huntington nurses make their voices heard for safe staffing.
“Millions of workers, including nurses and our healthcare colleagues in hospitals across the country, rely on the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to help keep us safe at work. Trying to destroy agencies like this makes clear the current administration doesn’t care about working people, aligning them with the hospital industry. Our recent experience during the pandemic demonstrated that healthcare executives can’t be trusted to keep us and our patients safe, which is why we are fighting to reinstate NIOSH.”
– Nancy Hagens, RN, BSN, CCRN, president of NYSNA and NNU
NYSNA Joins National Lawsuit Over NIOSH Cuts
DOGE fired over 85% of NIOSH staff who dedicate their careers to ending worker injuries and deaths.
The AFL-CIO — along with unions representing workers in healthcare, education, mining and manufacturing industries; the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics; Public Citizen; and a manufacturer of personal protective equipment (PPE)
—filed a lawsuit in federal court on May 14, 2025, against the Trump administration-backed Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) massive cuts to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). DOGE fired over 85% of NIOSH employees and ordered most of the remaining staff to dismantle their programs.
Only the World Trade Center Health Program and the Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program survived, due to fierce pushback from unions and many congressional representatives as well as court orders. DOGE still reduced the World Trade Center Health Program staff by 24%, and the loss of other NIOSH departments will hamstring these vital programs because they rely on the other departments to function fully.
The lawsuit states that NIOSH’s work is congressionally mandated, making these cuts illegal. It also
demands immediate injunctive relief, which means preventing NIOSH’s shutdown while the lawsuit proceeds.
NIOSH Saves Lives
Congress created NIOSH at the same time as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). NIOSH serves as the research arm of OSHA, providing the scientific evidence needed to create OSHA standards. It also addresses many workplace hazards that healthcare workers are exposed to that do not have OSHA standards, including workplace violence, musculoskeletal injuries due to manually moving patients, hazardous drugs, and exposure to disinfecting chemicals and infectious diseases.
As many learned when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, NIOSH is the only agency in the U.S. that certifies respirators, making sure that they meet their claimed protection requirements. NYSNA members and staff were also able to use the NIOSH website to identify counterfeit N95 respirators that employers had provided to healthcare staff. NIOSH’s National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory regularly tests all types of PPE
and supports PPE innovation to improve PPE for the 20 million U.S. workers who use it to stay safe at work.
NIOSH also runs multiple health studies and surveillance programs for workers, such as the firefighters’ cancer registry, mine workers’ black lung, energy workers’ exposure to radiation and the World Trade Center Health Program.
NIOSH not only conducts its own extensive research, but it is also responsible for funding the research of other scientists and research organizations. No other entity is as responsible for studies on worker safety and health as NIOSH.
In addition to these many responsibilities, Congress mandated NIOSH to conduct health hazard evaluations (HHEs). Workers, their representatives and their managers can request NIOSH specialists to come to the worksite to identify hazardous conditions and make recommendations to improve safety. NIOSH has conducted almost 17,000 HHEs since the agency’s inception, and HHE findings are available for all to review, making its findings a useful tool for similar worksites.
The Fight for Health and Safety Continues
In addition to this lawsuit, 20 state attorney generals, including New York State Attorney General Letitia James, filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for these devastating cuts. Stay tuned for further information as these suits move through the courts.
EACH YEAR, more than 5,000 workers die from injuries on the job, and 135,000 workers die from occupational disease.
Source: “Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect,” AFL-CIO 2025.
NYSNA Board of Directors Attend Conference on 5-Year Anniversary of COVID-19
In early May, members of NYSNA’s board of directors attended The Biopolitics of Global Health After Covid-19: An Interdisciplinary Conference at Cornell University. As part of a collaborative project between Cornell, the University of Salerno (Fisciano, Italy) and Shiv Nadar University (New Delhi, India), the conference brought world-leading philosophers, sociologists and anthropologists from various geographical regions together with nurses to reflect on the pandemic and its aftermath.
On the first night of the conference, NYSNA First Vice President Dr. Judith Cutchin, DNP, RN, presented the opening keynote, “COVID-19: A Look Back at the First Five Years From the Frontlines,” reflecting on the immense challenges and groundbreaking victories nurses have seen over the past five years. Cutchin also discussed what nurses, frontline healthcare workers, and patients and the community need to defend against COVID-19 and any other emerging public health threat in the current political environment as well as how nurses are once again on the front lines to pro-
tect healthcare and workers’ rights under the current administration.
Cutchin’s talk was well received by attendees. Following the talk, attendees thanked Cutchin and the other board members not only for their work during the height of the pandemic but for all they’ve done since to advocate for their patients and keep communities healthy.
Frontline Expertise
Esca van Blarikom, postdoctoral fellow at Cornell and the main conference organizer, said of NYSNA’s participation, “I cannot overstate what an enormous pleasure it was to have Judith and the other NYSNA board members with us this week. Their energy, stories, team spirit and activism were incredibly inspiring, and Judith’s keynote provided us exactly those insights into the experiences of frontline workers that we wanted to learn more about. I cannot thank her, you and the NYSNA board enough for being so engaged with our event!”
As part of our commitment to advocate for our patients and the communities we serve, NYSNA members will continue to attend interdisciplinary conferences to
bring the lived experiences of frontline healthcare workers and our patients into the conversation with academia. Too often, academics work in a silo and don’t hear the perspectives of those on the ground doing the work. By sharing our experiences with academics — and other thought leaders — we hope to continue to influence policy, build connections, advance the nursing profession and keep our patients healthy!
NYSNA Convention Oct. 28-29
Save the date and get ready to meet fellow nurses and healthcare professionals from across New York on Oct. 28-29 at Catskills Resorts World in Monticello, NY. Online registration, delegate, transportation, lodging and class information will be continually updated on our website at www.nysna.org/Convention
The theme of this year’s Convention is Strength in Solidarity: Uniting for Our Patients, Practice and Union. We can’t wait to see you this year, celebrate our accomplishments and solidarity, strategize about our priorities and participate in union democracy. Bylaws Are Due Aug. 14, and Resolutions Are Due Aug. 29
The NYSNA Secretary must receive amendments to the NYSNA bylaws no later than Aug. 14 and resolutions by Aug. 29. Convention Delegates can mail proposed amendments to:
New York State Nurses Association
ATTN: NYSNA Secretary
131 W. 33rd St., 4th Fl
New York, NY 10001
Dr. Judith Cutchin, DNP, RN, (front row, 3rd from left) alongside members of the NYSNA board of directors and conference organizers, at the Biopolitics of Global Health After COVID-19: An Interdisciplinary Conference.
Or e-mail a Word document attachment to info@ nysna.org with the subject line: “Bylaws Amendment.” Convention Delegates can mail pro posed resolutions to the same mail ing address above or email resolutions as a Microsoft Word document to info@ nysna.org with the subject line: “Resolution.” You can find guidelines to writing resolutions on the NYSNA website at www.nysna.org/ Convention For Convention Delegates who plan to mail bylaws or resolutions, please write “NYSNA” and indicate whether it’s a bylaw amendment or resolution on the envelope. We are looking forward to hearing your ideas and taking advantage of this year’s Convention to share, learn and strategize together as union siblings.
Hospice and Palliative Care
NYSNA Nurses Ratify Contract!
NYSNA nurses at Hospice and Palliative Care in Central New York unanimously voted to ratify a new contract with significant wage increases and improved staffing. Hospice and palliative care nurses do the challenging and rewarding work of caring for patients with serious or end-stage illnesses with the professionalism and compassion they deserve. Congratulations, hospice and palliative care nurses!
Gracie Square Hospital Nurses Win
Workplace Violence Arbitration
When management at Gracie Square Hospital refused to follow the NYSNA contract and support workplace victims by providing the paid time away that’s needed to recover, NYSNA nurses organized to hold the hospital accountable. They fought back by filing a grievance, which turned into an arbitration that nurses recently won! The arbitrator found there was a clear violation of the contract language, stating, “The clear and unmistakable intent is that, when employees must miss work due to a workplace violence incident to seek medical or psychological care, or to legal recourse against the assailant, they shall receive full pay without charge to their accruals.”
Montefiore Weiler Nurses Win Staffing Arbitration
The 10 North medical surgical unit at Montefiore Weiler Hospital has been severely understaffed, especially since patient acuity has increased and Montefiore has increased bed capacity. NYSNA nurses organized to hold the hospital accountable. The unit had up to four hallway beds, making delivering safe care to these patients a challenge. Nurses filed 150 protests of assignment, and five nurses gave compelling testimony describing the difficulties in providing patient care that they experience on a daily basis. The arbitrator found that there was a pattern of understaffing on the unit, which created an excessive workload for nurses, and awarded a total of $84,515. Congratulations, Montefiore nurses!
CVPH Nurses Speak Out for Safe Staffing
NYSNA members at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital are fighting back after management unilaterally lowered safe staffing standards in four medical surgical units. On May 21, they held a speak-out reminding management
that these changes put patient care at risk and violate New York’s safe staffing law and NYSNA members’ contract. Lowering staffing standards won’t fix chronic understaffing, but hiring and retaining more nurses and investing in safe patient care will!
Oneida Nurses Keep Up the Pressure to Fight for a Fair Contract
NYSNA nurses at Oneida Health Hospital are gaining community support as they organize for a fair contract. Throughout April and May, nurses visited local businesses, asking them to post signs in support of nurses’ fight for a fair contract and dis-
tribute lawn signs in support of the nurses. Business owners and patrons were eager to show their support and spread the message to Oneida Health that they should “Listen to their Nurses,” come back to the table, and bargain the fair contract that nurses and patients deserve.
Northwell/South Shore RNs Break New Ground in Contract
NYSNA nurses at Northwell Health/South Shore University Hospital overwhelmingly ratified a three-year contract that includes improvements to safe staffing standards for quality patient care. Nurses voted to ratify the contract after months of bargaining, speaking out and preparing to strike if necessary.
Nurses also broke new ground as the first nurses’ contract in New York state that specifically allows nurses to review and make recommendations prior to and during the implementation of any artificial intelligence that could potentially impact nurses. Congratulations, Northwell/South Shore University Hospital nurses, on this victory
Garnet Health Nurses Ratify Contract!
In March, NYSNA nurses at Garnet Health Medical Center officially ratified their contract, with a supermajority of NYSNA members voting in favor! The new three-year contract includes across-the-board
wage increases, maintenance of the NYSNA Benefit Fund and improved safe staffing standards. Nurses also won this contract without givebacks. Now that nurses have ratified a new contract, they are ready to enforce it.
MEMBER DUES RATES FOR 2025-2026
Our Dues, Our Power
Our NYSNA dues pay for member representation and arbitrations, winning great new contracts, political and community outreach to support our contract and healthcare advocacy campaigns, member education, our nursing practice resources and free certification exam prep courses, events like our annual Convention and Nurses Week celebrations, and our new life insurance benefit.
As a dues-paying NYSNA member, you are part of a national movement to protect nursing and working people – as members of National Nurses United and the local, state, and national affiliates of our national union federation, the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).
Dues Rates
Average dues increase is $2.89 per biweekly paycheck (Full-time)
NYSNA membership dues will take effect July 1.
Dues rates are based on the average base salary for NYSNA local bargaining unit (LBU) members in various regions of the state. Dues are lower for members who are not represented by NYSNA for collective bargaining, and discounts are applied for members in other special circumstances (see chart below).
NYSNA dues are computed according to a formula approved by the members at the 2001 Voting Body. The formula uses a Regional Base Salary (RBS) to determine the dues for members in six different regions in New York state and one in New Jersey.
The RBS is the average of the starting salary paid to staff nurses at all NYSNA-represented facilities in each region as of Jan. 1, 2025. A calculation of 1.6 percent of this average determines the dues rate for members in that region who are represented for collective bargaining and work full time; and 1.2 percent for members who are represented for collective bargaining and work less than full time. Dues are not a percentage of each member’s individual salary.
Full-time rate is 1.6% of the average starting salary in the region where you work.
Part Time/Per Diem CBU Member
Nurses Not Represented by NYSNA for Collective Bargaining
Employed nurses not represented by NYSNA for collective bargaining
Rate is 70% of 1.2% of the average starting salary in the
Unemployed nurses or employed nurses age 62 and over and not earning more than allowed under Social Security
Rate is 50% of 1.2% of the lowest average starting salary in the region where you work or, if you are unemployed, where you live.
Nurses age 62 and over and unemployed, and RNs who are totally or permanently disabled (Social Security award letter required) or Lifetime Members (age 65 or over and paid NYSNA members for 25 years or more)
Rate is 25% of 1.2% of the average starting salary in the region where you live.
Retired category: Nurses not represented for collective bargaining, who are 62 years or older and retired and earning not more than what social security allows.
