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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Nurses Care for New York
NYSNA represents 20,000 New York City nurses from all five boroughs — from the safety net hospitals to the academic medical centers. We are so powerful when we are united. And make no mistake, we are united to win respect for nurses and patients.
We are united by our commitment to care for New York — in good times and in bad. It’s the nurses who show up and who do the work who make a difference in patients’ lives. We will need all of us to continue showing up and fighting for the fair contract we deserve. We know that we have a fight on our hands. We know because we’ve already started fighting it before even getting to the bargaining table. NYSNA nurses have been fighting against federal healthcare cuts that will devastate access to care for our patients and devastate hospital funding. NYSNA nurses have been fighting against rich and greedy hospital systems like NewYork-Presbyterian that cut
frontline staff before the ink was even dry on federal healthcare cuts.
We know that we have a fight on our hands with our contract campaign this time around. But we also know that we can win. We have faced these bosses together before. Three years ago, we launched our historic contract campaign together. It was the first time so many NYSNA members at New York City’s private hospital came together around a shared vision, a common bargaining platform and a common deadline to win contracts.
And we made history. We won the best contracts in our union’s history — the highest wages and the
strongest safe staffing language. We saved our NYSNA benefit plan, and we left no one behind. We stayed united from beginning to end, when and where it mattered. We honored the issues that different hospitals faced, and all 12 hospitals won. It wasn’t easy. Nurses at two hospitals went on strike to win their demands. Mount Sinai and Montefiore nurses put it all on the line. The staffing language they won set the pattern for winning staffing arbitrations not just at those hospitals and not just in New York City private sector hospitals but for NYSNA nurses throughout the state.
We Won’t Go Back
Every facility faces different issues and different bosses. But there’s so much more that unites us than separates us. We all want to maintain high registered nurse standards and enough nurses to provide quality care to our patients. We all want a voice in patient care and in our own health and safety. The path to achieve these things comes from our unity and solidarity.
Three years ago, we bargained for our first contract post-COVID. Our bosses were slow to invest in patient care and hire more nurses. Our nurse numbers were down. Our patient numbers were up — and our patients were coming in sicker than ever before. We were overworked, and our mental health continued to suffer from what many of us experienced during the pandemic. Our bosses wanted to continue a policy of forced austerity. They wanted to cut our healthcare. They wanted to keep our wages stagnant. They didn’t want to hire enough nurses for safe staffing. They wanted to ignore our safe staffing contractual standards.
But, of course, they also wanted to hold onto the record pay hikes and bonuses they gave themselves during the pandemic. The bosses wanted austerity for nurses and patients but not for hospital executives.
Do you think they’ll do anything different this time around? We’re not holding our breath. We’ll be speaking out instead. We can make an educated guess that our employers will push austerity for nurses and patients once again. Instead of fighting with us to secure healthcare funding to protect access to care for all New Yorkers — including our
most vulnerable patients — some hospitals will fight against nurses. We know what we are up against. We know what we have to do. We have to continue fighting for healthcare resources for our communities. The federal government and several of New York’s elected officials let us down. They made our fight much harder. But we need to continue to fight and advocate for state and local elected officials to do everything in their power to restore healthcare funding and protect our most vulnerable patients — our patients who are immigrants, LGBTQ and of low income! We have to hold our bosses’ feet to the fire. We cannot allow some of the richest and most financially stable hospital systems to use federal cuts as an excuse to cut staff and services. We cannot allow hospital executives to eat steak and lobster while our units are being starved of nurses.
Nurses Care for New York. We will not stand by and watch our healthcare system crumble and our patients suffer. We will not stand by and watch as hospitals try to cut staff and cut the essential healthcare services our communities need. We will not stand by and watch as executives try to take away our healthcare or other benefits. We will not stand by and watch as nurses are subjected to violence and our bosses do little about it. We will not stand by and watch as our bosses try to replace us with virtual nurses and artificial intelligence.
United Like Never Before
We will stand up and show that Nurses care for New York — especially in this time of need. Nurses care by advocating for our patients — wherever and however we can. Nurses care by working together to lift up all nurses. An attack on one is an attack on all!
NYSNA nurses will be there to support one another — in rich hospitals and in safety net hospitals and in every borough. We need to be united like never before! We need to remember that we are one union, united to win! We need to act as one. We need to act in solidarity to defend access to care. Our patients and all of New York are counting on us!
And remember, when we fight, we win!
Advocating for patients. Advancing the profession.SM
NYC Mayoral candidate, Zohran Mamdani, joins campaign launch on Aug. 14
A “Virtual” Attack on Our Union Voice
Earlier this year, Northwell South Shore University Hospital nurses secured a contract with provisions for nurses to review artificial intelligence (AI) technology before implementation, a first for nurses’ union contracts in New York State. Having a “real nurse” at the bedside, not AI, is a core pillar of our New York City private sector bargaining platform and will likely be a big part of upcoming contract fights.
For many who have not yet seen AI’s influence in medical settings, these provisions may seem unnecessary. I’ve even heard some nurses repeating our bosses’ line, saying that automation and virtual nursing can be solutions to our chronic overwork and understaffing. But those of us who have seen the rollout of AI and virtual nursing in the healthcare setting know this isn’t true: Technology can never replace the expertise of a real nurse at the bedside. As a union of healthcare professionals invested in safe patient care and protecting our rights at work, it is imperative that we are unified and consistent in our position for “a real nurse” at the bedside and advocate for a strong nurse voice in any decision that impacts our work.1
Nurses Are the Real Experts in Patient Care
As nurses, we have fought diligently to have the medical industry value our expertise. As our work evolves, we have taken on different types of responsibilities, but one thing remains constant: We create and maintain connections with patients that many other professionals who interact with patients do not. Our ability to directly care — to be present physically and emotionally for patients — is at the heart of what we do. As the healthcare system becomes increasingly profit-driven and the demand for efficiency cuts down on face time between medical professionals and patients, we need to do everything in our power to preserve that connection. Not only is AI stealing care away from patients and real nurses, but it is stealing what makes nurs-
ing a powerful and trusted profession. If we don’t provide direct care and we allow technology to compromise our patient interactions, nursing as we know it will end.
AI Is Already Here
Already, we are seeing these new technologies roll out in facilities across the state. At some facilities, AI tools track how long it takes a nurse to dispense a drug. Although this is done under the guise of safety and efficiency — nurses are administering narcotics that could be dangerous in high quantities — these technologies are recording interactions with patients to teach machines how to do our jobs. This is part of a long-term vision for the future of healthcare; for corporations, it may mean more profit. For the rest of us, though, this will lead to a future with fewer nurses and less compassionate and — ultimately — less real, intelligent care.
Not a New Fight
For years, the hospital industry has been automating medical decision-making, making important and often biased decisions based on boiled-down data. Now, electronic medical records companies, including ones our facilities contract with, are marketing the use of AI to scrub charts before the end of a shift.2 AI
By Pat Kane, RN, CNOR(E) NYSNA Executive Director
will run through charts and question nurses’ clinical judgement. However, what is potentially more dangerous is that it is also teaching AI how to perform these nursing tasks.
We are also seeing the rise of virtual care. While virtual care may address some of the systemic barriers to accessing care, particularly in rural parts of the state, it is no substitute for in-person care. The biggest telehealth companies right now are bringing in low-wage nurses from nonunion states to care for patients through a screen. This compromises the therapeutic relationship, and teaches a machine to do what only a real nurse can.
Protecting Our Union Voice
It is critical that we stay informed and demand transparency when AI, machine learning or virtual care are introduced to our facilities. There are too many attacks on healthcare and organized labor for us to stay silent on this one.
Although we welcome technology that keeps patients safe and healthy, we refuse to accept changes that can be bad for patients and bad for nurses, undermine our union voice and help lay the groundwork for a future with worse healthcare outcomes for all.
National Nurses United has put together a “Nurses and Patients’ Bill of Rights” which outlines the principles healthcare settings should follow when applying A.I. to ensure quality patient care, safety, and equity.
Read it here: bit.ly/ NNU-AI-Principles
SOURCES
1 bit.ly/2024convresolutions
2 https://www.epic.com/software/ ai-clinicians/
NYSNA nurses rally for real nurses at the New York City private sector campaign launch on Aug. 14.
Fearless Albany Med Nurses Achieve Contract
After months of fighting and calling attention to the staffing crisis that threatened patient care, in August, Albany Med nurses secured a contract that achieves all they set out to win and more! With a real plan to recruit and retain nurses, the contract makes significant strides to improve patient care in the capital region.
This contract is the second one that Albany Med nurses have
and ultimately ensure safe patient care in the capital region.
A Hard-Won Victory
NYSNA nurses secured this contract after years of sounding the alarm about the staffing crisis that put patient care at risk. They began their fight for safe staffing well over a year ago, when nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit began tracking ratios in their unit. Routinely understaffed, the hospital was ignoring nurses’ calls to safely staff units and continued to place nurses in critical care assignments with three or four babies, when they should have had no more than two.
Nurses on the Albany Med Executive Committee celebrating after ratifying a new contract.
secured since they organized at the hospital. Their new contract includes enforceable safe staffing ratios, a vital step in addressing the staffing crisis. It also secured significant wage increases that will make these positions regionally competitive, including first-year increases between 16% and 22%, market parity increases in the next two years of the contract, additional 3% annual increases in the following years, and no wage caps for experienced nurses. Crucially, after months of management silencing them through retaliation and anti-union rhetoric, nurses secured an improved union voice and protections.
Winning Respectful Wages
While for years, nurses at Albany Med — a Level 1 Trauma Center that receives some of the most vulnerable patients from across the state — were among the lowest paid in the region, their contract ensures they will be among the highest paid in the area. Together, these contract wins will help recruit and retain nurses, improve working conditions
speak-outs for safe staffing.3 They received the help of other unions,4 community groups and elected officials5 who penned letters of solidarity,6 and they launched an ad campaign across the capital region. They spoke out at every turn possible, demanding that the state and board of directors intervene, and they drew the attention of important allies, who — like the nurses — understood that this fight was much bigger than their bargaining unit and affected patients well beyond the capital region.
After meticulous nurse documentation, the New York State Department of Health (DOH) stepped in, investigated the hospital and corroborated the nurses’ findings. While the DOH’s enforcement efforts are key to ensuring that hospitals are held accountable when they break the law, their investigation did not result in immediate change. Instead, the DOH released a deficiency report with a record 500-plus violations of the safe staffing law. Months later and after more nurse action, the DOH levied a historic $375,000 in fines against the hospital.
While the DOH’s historic action drew attention to the areas that needed immediate change, nurses called out Albany Med’s continued reliance on Band-Aid fixes to address the staffing crisis, such as relying on expensive temporary travel nurses to fill gaps rather than making a serious effort to recruit and retain nurses and investing in safe quality patient care for the capital region.
Nurses remained united and committed to holding the hospital accountable in the absence of substantive change. Throughout the past 1.5 years, they held townhalls and an informational picket,1 hosted community forums,2 delivered petitions to hospital leadership and held
When nurses spoke up, management responded with retaliation. Management targeted outspoken nurse advocates and disciplined them for bringing attention to safe patient care; the union filed several unfair labor practice charges in response. As nurses fought to hold the hospital accountable, they continued to work in impossible conditions, and the hospital continued to lose experienced, dedicated nurses. Despite this, nurses never gave in to management and continued to fight at the bargaining table. Over 1,000 nurses signed a petition, displaying their unity in spite of management’s fierce anti-union campaign. Finally, they secured a contract that nurses are incredibly proud of.
A New Day for AMC Nurses
After securing the contract, Jennifer Bejo, RN, and Local Bargaining Unit (LBU) President at Albany Med, said, “This is a new day for nurses at Albany Medical Center. Union nurses showed what we can accomplish on behalf of our patients and colleagues when we work together and advocate.”
Nurses have shown a fearless dedication to their coworkers, their patients and their communities. They have demonstrated that when nurses remain united and fight for what they know is right, anything is possible. However, the fight is not over, and hard work remains. Nurses must work to make sure that the contract that they worked so hard to achieve is enforced and that new nurses at Albany Med learn about the union difference. Albany Med nurses showed that when NYSNA nurses fight, we win!
Next Front in the Fight Against Healthcare Cuts
In July, Congress and the Trump administration voted in an enormous transfer of wealth from poor and working people to the super rich. The so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill” makes massive cuts to Medicaid and spending on healthcare and social services to fund tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires. Early projections indicate that this bill will cause 16 million Americans1 to become uninsured and that more than 1 million Americans2 will lose their jobs.
The Impact on New York Hospitals, nursing homes and other healthcare facilities are also projected to lose billions in federal funding, making cuts to staff and services likely and putting entire hospitals at risk of closure. In New York, researchers estimate that 1.2 million New Yorkers will lose their health insurance, our state will lose $13.5 billion in federal healthcare funding, hospitals alone will lose $1.4 billion and insurance premiums will rise for everyone. Approximately 70 New York hospitals could be at risk of closure, and 79,000 healthcare workers could lose their jobs.3
We Must Continue to Fight Back
All year, NYSNA nurses have joined the chorus of healthcare and community advocates sounding the alarm about how this bill will damage our health and jobs. Unfortunately, Congress passed the bill. Now that the vote is done, we must hold accountable members of Congress who voted for this harmful bill because they chose billionaires over working people and vulnerable communities. Next year’s midterm elections for U.S.
House of Representatives will be our opportunity to elect healthcare and worker champions.
More immediately, there is way more work to do to blunt the full force of these cuts on our patients, hospitals and profession. We must demand a federal repeal of the cuts, the first of which are expected to begin January 2026. That’s why NYSNA nurses from Wynn Hospital joined New York Senator Chuck Schumer on Aug. 14 to support his legislation — the Protecting Health Care and Lowering Costs Act — to repeal the healthcare cuts and permanently extend the Affordable Care Act premium tax credits that are set to expire at the end of this year. It is also why NYSNA nurses joined union members at the AFL-CIO’s “It’s Better in a Union” nationwide bus tour and rally on Aug. 19 in Croton to speak out against Rep. Mike Lawler’s vote for the Republican budget bill.
On the state and local level, we must pressure elected officials to pass budgets that compensate for federal cuts. As Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso said when he stood with New York City nurses at the launch of our Nurses Care for New York contract campaign, referencing the city’s $150 billion budget: “Political will can cover a lot of the cost of what we’re talking about. When we need the money, they find it. We have to be smart and talk about where we put that money because healthcare doesn’t need to be something we sacrifice. It starts by taking care of the people that take care of New York.”
We must also continue to educate ourselves and our patients on the impact these cuts will have in
the immediate future. Throughout August, the Fiscal Policy Institute brought together an unprecedented coalition of community allies and union members across New York for four different virtual teach-ins to learn about the impact of the recent cuts to Medicaid, healthcare, safetynet and SNAP benefits in different regions from Long Island to New York City to the Hudson Valley and Central New York. In the New York City webinar, New York City Council Member and Labor Caucus Chair Carmen De La Rosa and economists and budget experts from the Fiscal Policy Institute joined union members from NYSNA, AFSCME, CWA and NYS AFL-CIO to learn about the impact of the cuts, mobilize to speak out against the cuts and hold accountable elected officials who voted for this bill.
Stopping Hospital Cuts
Nurses are fighting back against employers who are using the government’s budget cuts to propose givebacks and announce service reductions and layoffs. NewYorkPresbyterian, one of New York’s wealthiest healthcare corporations, announced 2% cuts across the board back in May, citing incoming cuts. They are not alone – Ellis cut most surgical services at Bellevue Woman’s Center and Wyckoff Medical Center made cuts to their Intermediate Care Unit. As bosses become emboldened by the transfer of power to the wealthy few and the erosion of workers’ rights, nurses must be ready to defend the gains we have made and remind the bosses that we will not stop fighting and advocating for our patients, our communities and our profession.
Learn more and download the full factsheet at https://bit.ly/CutsNY
Unions came together in the Hudson Valley to protest the cuts on Aug. 19.
NYSNA Nurses Launch 2025 Private Sector Campaign
On Thursday, Aug. 14, NYSNA nurses from 12 private sector facilities across New York City launched their bargaining platform for their 2025 contract fight! NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, kicked off the bargaining conference by reminding nurses of the historic gains they made in their last contract campaign and reaffirmed NYSNA’s commitment to win respect for nurses and to protect healthcare access for patients. Nurses then introduced the five-point platform that will guide this contract fight:
l Quality patient care through enforceable safe staffing.
l Defend access to care when our patients’ healthcare services and staff are under attack.
l Protect nurses so we can continue to care for you.
l Every patient deserves a real nurse.
l Fair wages and benefits to recruit and retain nurses.
A Platform Meeting the Moment
The platform captures the top priorities for nurses in this political moment. Safe staffing remains the No. 1 issue for nurses; however, defending care has also become critical at a time when the federal government has approved disastrous cuts to Medicaid and other social safety net programs. Nurses are also concerned about their health and safety and will fight for contract language that protects them from workplace violence and other hazards. The increasing use of unregulated artificial intelligence (AI) and its implementation with little to no input from healthcare workers is another relevant issue nurses are ready to address in this contract fight. Finally, while employers seem eager to use government cuts to announce reductions to services and layoffs, nurses remain steadfast in their demands for fair wages and benefits because they know those are the key to recruiting new nurses and maintaining experienced nurses at the bedside.
We are Not Alone in this Fight
Following the platform presentations, New York City Democratic Mayoral Nominee and Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso and New York City Central Labor Council Secretary-Treasurer Janella Hinds joined NYSNA members at a rally and press conference in support of their campaign to defend healthcare and protect New Yorkers. The rally showcased the energy, power and allyship that nurses are bringing with them as they negotiate fair contracts across the city. Crain’s New York Business, POLITICO, The City and Fox News 5 covered the press conference.
Lessons Learned
Nurses followed the rally by attending powerful breakout sessions. They learned about the impact of Medicaid cuts in their facilities, how these cuts will disproportionately impact safety-net hospitals and how cuts will lead to higher healthcare premiums for private health insurance holders. They learned about the risks of unregulated AI programs and how facilities like Mount Sinai are already using AI to screen phone calls and track how long nurses take when administering certain drugs. Nurses also strategized how to win contract language to protect nurses from workplace
violence, and new Contract Action Team members attended an Organizing 101 to learn key strategies to build support in their facilities. Nurses also met by region to strategize and develop facility-specific platform points. We are Ready to
Fight
While the political reality of budget cuts and attacks on healthcare seems daunting, nurses reminded each other of what they accomplished under the challenging post-COVID-19 conditions of their last contract fight. The energy and engagement in the conference showed that NYSNA nurses are ready to unite, organize and fight to defend healthcare, protect their patients and win fair contracts. As Wyckoff Heights Medical Center LBU President Dalia Branford, RN, said when introducing the Defend Access to Care bargaining platform: “NYSNA nurses are not giving up; we’re not letting our patients down; and we won’t let our healthcare system crumble. This contract fight is a fight for every New Yorker who is in danger of seeing their premiums skyrocket or of losing their healthcare. This contract fight is for every nurse who has been told they’re being laid off while their hospital executive gets another million-dollar paycheck. This contract fight is about using the power of our union to defend access to healthcare so all New Yorkers get the care they deserve.”
NYSNA nurses rallied in support of their bargaining platform at the 2025 Private Sector Bargaining Conference on Aug. 14.
2025 General Election Voter Guide
Our ability to strengthen our public health infrastructure — our social safety net — and support frontline workers depends on electing candidates who support nurses, healthcare professionals and our communities. As the 2025 election season heats up, this is our chance to get involved and help elect NYSNA champions who will make a difference in the lives of nurses, healthcare workers and our patients!
HOW TO VOTE
Key Dates
l Oct. 25: last day to register to vote, in person or by mail
l Oct. 25-Nov. 2, 2025: early voting period
l Nov. 3: last day to apply in person for a general election ballot
l Nov. 4: Election Day! Last day to deliver a ballot in person to the County Board of Elections or your poll site, by close of polls on Election Day
ABSENTEE VOTING INFORMATION
You may qualify to vote absentee for the following reasons:
1. Absent from your county or, if a resident of New York City, absent from the five boroughs on Election Day.
2. Unable to appear at the polls due to temporary or permanent illness or disability.
3. Unable to appear because you are the primary caregiver of one or more individuals who are ill or physically disabled.
4. A resident or patient of a Veterans Health Administration Hospital. You may apply for an absentee ballot in any of the following ways:
l Apply online at https://ballotapplication.elections.ny.gov/home/ absentee
l Go in person to your local county board of elections (For more information, visit https://elections.ny.gov/.)
l Designate another person to deliver your application in person to your local county board of elections and receive your ballot.
l Download a PDF version of the New York State Absentee Ballot Application Form: https://elections.ny.gov/.
You can track your absentee ballot via the Board of Elections’ Poll
Site Search, Voter Registration and Absentee Ballot Tracker available at https://voterlookup.elections.ny.gov/ You may return the ballot in any of the following ways:
1. Put it in the mail, ensuring it receives a postmark no later than Nov. 4. The County Board of Elections must receive it no later than Nov. 12.
2. Bring it to your County Board of Elections Office no later than 9 p.m. on Nov. 4.
3. Bring it to an early voting poll site in your county between Oct. 25 and Nov. 2.
4. Bring it to a poll site in your county by 9 p.m. on Nov. 4.
HIGHLIGHTED MAYORAL RACES
Capital Region:
DORCEY APPLYRS
Dorcey Applyrs is running for mayor of Albany. She won the Democratic primary in June, defeating a field of three other candidates. She’s been the Albany chief city auditor since 2020 after serving in the common council for years. Her background is in public health and health policy, which is evidenced in her platform prioritizing health equity, public safety and affordability in Albany. She’s supported by the Working Families Party.
New York City:
ZOHRAN MAMDANI
Zohran Mamdani is running for mayor of New York City. He won a crowded Democratic primary in June by running a strong campaign that engaged a broad electorate and prioritized affordability. Mamdani
was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020, where he has fought for working-class families, including nurses. He stood alongside nurses at Montefiore New Rochelle in 2020 and nurses at Health+Hospitals (H+H)/Elmhurst Hospital in 2023 when they were fighting to win fair union contracts. He joined NYSNA nurses at a rally and press conference on Aug. 14 to support the Private Sector Bargaining Launch. Mamdani has pledged to work with healthcare unions and city and state partners to increase funding for H+H and end hospital closures. He is also committed to partnering with workers and their unions to take on the fragmented, for-profit healthcare system to lower costs for everyone. He’s supported by the Working Families Party.
Western New York: SEAN RYAN
Sean Ryan is running for mayor of Buffalo. He dominated the Democratic primary in June by running on a message of change. Ryan was first elected to the New York State Senate in 2020 after previously serving in the New York State Assembly from 2011 to 2020. Over the last decade as a member of the New York Legislature, he championed issues including creating a fair economy, protecting taxpayer dollars, lower taxes, increased investment in education; waterfront development; neighborhood redevelopment; protecting reproductive choice; and clean air, water, and environmental protection. Ryan has been a strong supporter of union members and nurses and is also supported by the Working Families Party.
Dorcey Applyrs, candidate for Albany Mayor
Zohran Mamdani, candidate for New York City Mayor
Sean Ryan, candidate for Buffalo Mayor
NYC H+H Nurses Take Action Against Unfair Sick Leave Policy Changes
NYSNA nurses at NYC Health+Hospitals (H+H)/ Mayorals are fighting back against H+H’s new interpretation of its long-standing time and attendance policy that discourages nurses from using sick leave. Throughout the summer, nurses have hit the ground running to organize action across the health system and mobilize elected officials to support nurses’ fight.
The unfair sick leave policy changes encourage nurses to work while sick, which is detrimental to both patients and nurses. Nurses have
been calling out H+H management’s attempt to pursue the Pathway to Excellence designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC). Pathway to Excellence means a healthy work environment where nurses feel empowered and valued. However, nurses know there can’t be a pathway to excellence when nurses are pressured to work while sick. That’s why they organized button actions to show their support to reverse the policy and launched a call-in campaign targeting ANCC credential administrators to tell them that H+H
Celebrating Leadership in Recovery-Friendly Workplaces
NYSNA’s Statewide Peer Assistance for Nurses (SPAN) is a confidential education, support and advocacy program for all nurses licensed in New York state and is a resource for nurses who are affected by an alcohol or drug-related problem or related mental health issues. As part of its outreach and education efforts, SPAN recently launched the Campaign for Compassion, which urges nurses and colleagues
to take action to create a supportive workplace culture. Although nurses serve as first responders, many hesitate to seek help for themselves due to fear of judgement — and the Campaign for Compassion aims to change that narrative.
On June 13, SPAN was excited to honor UVM-Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) with the Recovery-Friendly Workplace Award. During the award event, SPAN highlighted how CVPH has taken proactive steps to foster a culture of understanding, support and resources for all employees facing any issues with substance use disorder (SUD).
Leading with Compassion
SUD affects approximately 10% of the workforce at some point in the individuals’ careers, contributing to increased absenteeism and decreased productivity. These initiatives — such as fair chance employment by prioritizing skills and qualifications over a candidate’s history of SUD or
should not get the designation if it refuses to listen to nurses.
Fair Sick Leave Now
Nurses didn’t stop there! They have been organizing meetings with local elected officials to ask for support. On July 29, NYSNA H+H nurse leaders — including NYSNA Director at Large and Executive Council President Sonia Lawrence, BSN, RN, and NYSNA Southern Regional Director and H+H Executive Council Vice President Alizia McMeyers, MSN, MHA, BSN, RN — met with NYC Council Deputy Speaker Diana Ayala to urge her support in advocating for the reversal of an unjust sick leave policy. In August, nurses also met with Council Members Rita Joseph, Narcisse Mercedes and Gale Brewer, the sponsor of the Earned Safe and Sick Time Act (Paid Safe and Sick Leave Law) in New York City. Nurses will not stop until H+H management reverse the sick leave policy to maintain a safe and healthy environment for nurses and patients!
recovery status; reasonable return-towork accommodations that support the successful workplace integration or reintegration of staff in recovery from SUD; as well as reviewing and updating substance use policies — all demonstrate how organizations can positively influence this landscape.
A special recognition goes to Sarah Newtown, RN, NYSNA program representative, and Gregory Freeman, BSN, RN, CVPH director of occupational health & wellness, both of whom were essential in getting the Campaign for Compassion off the ground at CVPH. SPAN is proud to celebrate the CVPH nurses and healthcare professionals who joined the call to action to create a supportive workplace culture. We look forward to seeing more organizations join in the Campaign for Compassion and foster more workplaces that support recovery and well-being for all.
If your facility is interested in learning how to lead with compassion and becoming a recoveryfriendly workplace, contact SPAN at the SPAN Helpline: 800-4577261 or visit www.statewidepeerassistance.org
SPAN Honors CVPH With the Recovery-Friendly Workplace Award.
H+H nurses at Bellevue (right) and Kings County (above) button up to demand a reversal to the sick leave policy.
A New Attack on Maternal Healthcare in the Capital Region
On Wednesday, Aug. 13, NYSNA nurses joined forces with elected officials and community allies to hold a town hall meeting,1 demanding that Ellis Medicine preserve surgical services at Bellevue Woman’s Center. Early in the summer, Ellis proposed cuts to most surgical services at Bellevue, in the operating room and outpatient settings. Despite originally planning to implement these cuts in December, Ellis made a drastic change to the timeline, ending services in late August.
The closure of surgical services at Bellevue is an enormous threat to maternal and child healthcare in both Schenectady County and the capital region. Though patients are still able to receive cesarean sections at Bellevue, any other surgical services now require travel by ambulance to Ellis’s main campus. Shifting these services to an already overworked nursing staff will lead to increased wait times and potentially separate mothers from babies at a vulnerable time post-birth. The plan could also have a negative ripple effect on the broader community by tying up vehicles and increasing wait times for other patients who need ambulance services in emergencies.
Nurses, elected officials, allies and community members at the town hall were united in the belief that these closures at Bellevue pose an enormous threat to maternal and child healthcare, as well as overall patient care, in Schenectady County and the capital region.
Unfortunately, the cuts at Bellevue are just the latest in a series of attacks on healthcare on both the federal and local levels. For months, the Trump administration has been working to dismantle our healthcare system, targeting services that predominantly support vulnerable New Yorkers, like Medicaid and reproductive health services. In the capital region, the reduction to surgical services at Bellevue comes just over a year after a similar attack on the Burdett Birth Center in neighboring Rensselaer County.
A Familiar Foe Returns
In 2023, St. Peter’s Health Partners/Trinity Health, a healthcare network operating in the capital region, proposed a plan to close the Burdett Birth Center at Samaritan Hospital. Like Bellevue, Burdett is the only maternal and child healthcare provider in its area and provides essential reproductive health services to a critically underserved community. Losing those services would have had a devastating impact on Rensselaer County and the capital region. Thanks to the advocacy of NYSNA nurses, elected officials and community advocates, St. Peter’s/Trinity rescinded the proposal, and Burdett remains open today.2
It should come as no surprise, then, that St. Peter’s/Trinity — the same company that operates Samaritan Hospital — also has a hand in the cuts at Bellevue. Since 2021, Ellis Hospital has been in various stages of merging with St. Peter’s/Trinity,3 citing hospital
finances as cause for the merger. And now, St. Peter’s/Trinity is using the same excuse to resume its attacks on reproductive health services in the capital region.
In addition to its attempt to close Burdett and closing surgical services at Bellevue, Trinity Health also has a history of denying reproductive care to women in other parts of the country. And in 2015, it was the subject of a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union for refusing livesaving emergency room abortions to women suffering from pregnancy complications. At a time when healthcare services are under attack across the country, a healthcare network with a history of attacking maternal and child health services should have no place in New York.
What’s Next
Despite coming up against an out-of-state corporation with a history of attacking maternal and child healthcare, NYSNA nurses are fired up about the fight to restore maternal and child health services in their community. Dawn Zipp, RN, NYSNA LBU President at Bellevue, said, “Mothers come to Bellevue because they know they get exceptional care. What the hospital is doing will undoubtedly negatively impact our ability to provide safe patient care. We need Bellevue to preserve these services and our nursing staff.”
Community members are also engaged in the fight, and at the town hall meeting, they shared compelling stories about the care they received at Bellevue and the critical role the hospital plays in their community.
Though Ellis and St. Peter’s/Trinity Health were able to push through the closures at Bellevue, one thing that’s clear is that NYSNA nurses, elected officials, advocates and community members aren’t ready to give up the fight to restore the healthcare services that Schenectady County — and capital region — mothers and babies deserve.
Show your support for the fight to restore surgical services at Bellevue Woman’s Center by signing and sharing this petition.4
NYSNA nurses held a powerful town hall to save maternal services at Bellevue in August 2025 (above and below left).
Oneida Nurses Ratify New Contract
After months of bargaining, NYSNA nurses at Oneida Health voted to ratify a new contract in early August, ending a stalemate with management. Since Oneida Health presented a so-called “last, best and final” offer in December, nurses have
met with elected officials, launched public letter writing and flyering campaigns, and held speak-outs and an informational picket to demand that management come back to the table to settle the fair contract that Oneida nurses and patients deserve. Their new contract — which includes a ratification bonus; wage increases over the life of the contract; and incentives to recruit and retain qualified, experienced nurses — will go a long way toward ensuring that Oneida Health is staffed safely and that nurses are able to provide the safe, quality patient care that their community deserves.
The Key was Sticking Together
Speaking about the contract victory, LBU President Donna Maccarone, RN, said, “I’m so proud of what we were able to achieve. We fought because we care for this
community and believe that patients and nurses deserve better. These improvements will ensure that we have enough nurses to provide the absolute best care possible.”
The campaign at Oneida Health was not an easy one, but these nurses have shown us that when we fight, we truly do win. The key to the Oneida nurses’ victory was sticking together. Throughout the campaign, nurses remained united and refused to let management divide them in hopes of ending their fight for a fair contract. For months, nurses continually showed up for themselves, their coworkers and their community — and they refused to back down when their employer attempted to intimidate them. By remaining united, nurses not only secured a fair contract, but they did so without making any concessions to management. Great job, Oneida Health nurses!
Bargaining Heats Up in the North Country
With a number of contracts set to expire before the end of the year, bargaining is heating up for NYSNA nurses in New York’s North Country. Nurses at Samaritan Medical Center, Claxton Hepburn Medical Center, Carthage Area Hospital and UVMElizabethtown Community Hospital are already at the bargaining table, fighting for the fair contracts that North Country nurses and patients deserve. And in just a few months, nurses at Adirondack Medical Center, UVM- lice Hyde Medical Center and UVM-Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) will begin negotiations as well. With contract expirations lining up, nurses are unified, fired up and ready to secure fair contracts that benefit both North Country nurses and patients.
Improving Access to Care
A chief priority for many of these North Country hospitals is expanding access to care for people in their communities. In rural New York — where facility and service closures, limited public transportation and geography all impede access to care — that means ensuring that there are enough nurses to provide safe, quality patient care and safely staffing hospitals.
Doing so starts with a strong, fair contract that includes respectful wages and benefits to recruit and retain nurses as well as strong staffing enforcement language.
NYSNA Second Vice President and LBU President Bill Schneider, BSN, RN, CCRN, a nurse at Adirondack Medical Center, said, “For small, independent hospitals like Adirondack Medical Center, a fair contract for nurses is critical. We’re the only hospital serving this community and the tens of thousands of people that visit the Adirondacks each year. It’s imperative that we win a fair contract that keeps qualified, experienced nurses at the bedside, and ensures that everyone in the Adirondacks —resident or visitor —has access to the safe, quality patient care they need.”
An Out-of-State Foe
Three of the North Country hospitals bargaining this year — Elizabethtown, Alice Hyde, and CVPH — all belong to the University of Vermont Health Network, a health system operating in both Northern New York and Vermont. Nurses are ready for the challenge and remain hopeful that this new contract will continue to build on previous victories. Vicki Davis-Courson, MSN, RN,
NYSNA’s eastern regional director, LBU Co-Chair and nurse at CVPH for over 20 years, said: “Heading into this year’s bargaining campaign, we’re hoping to build on some of the victories from our last contract. But as nurses and patient advocates, we’re also ready to fight for the resources our communities need. In recent months, CVPH has unilaterally increased staffing ratios in a number of med-surg units, meaning nurses are now responsible for more patients. This is unacceptable and puts patient care at risk. CVPH must listen to its frontline nurses, follow New York’s safe staffing law, and safely staff our units to ensure every North Country resident has access to the safe, quality patient care they deserve.”
Across all seven North Country facilities bargaining this fall, NYSNA nurses remain committed to fighting for the fair contracts they and their communities deserve. As hospitals, especially rural hospitals caring for underserved communities, react to the fallout from federal cuts to healthcare funding, nurses are ready to advocate for the resources they need to keep patients safe and healthy. Remember, when we fight, we win — and NYSNA nurses are ready to fight to defend patient care in the North Country!
NYSNA nurses at Oneida Health celebrate after ratifying a new three-year contract.
Claxton and Carthage nurses preparing to bargain!
Claxton nurses collecting signatures to show their unity in the fight for a fair contract!
Protecting Healthcare Facility Patients and Staff From Wildfire Smoke
Wildfire smoke, once a relatively rare occurrence in New York state, has become a frequent event. Whether from massive fires hundreds of miles away or smaller nearby fires, the smoke that wildfires produce has resulted in hazy skies and difficulty breathing for many New Yorkers. Wildfire smoke can be much more hazardous for many individuals than other forms of pollution.
Why is wildfire smoke particularly difficult for healthcare facilities to deal with?
Many healthcare facilities operate 24/7. Shutting down and sending everyone home is not an option except under the direst circumstances. Ventilation in healthcare systems is designed to bring in as much fresh air as possible and to filter out airborne pathogens to prevent the spread of airborne-transmissible diseases. But when outdoor air becomes dangerous, keeping the indoor air clean and safe becomes significantly more challenging.
In far too many healthcare facilities, the ventilation systems are outdated and poorly maintained. The added strain of wildfire smoke may push these systems beyond their capacity.
During a wildfire smoke event, the patient census may surge due to the public experiencing breathing and cardiac problems. This surge may occur at the same time that healthcare staff may have difficulty getting to work due to fire conditions and are experiencing their own medical challenges (nurses suffer from asthma at a significantly higher rate than the general public).
What are the health risks of wildfire smoke?
Wildfire smoke is far more dangerous than regular air pollution.
It contains hazardous gases, chemicals and ultrafine particles that can enter deep into the lungs and even cross into the bloodstream and other parts of the body.
Short-term health effects include eye, nose and throat irritation; difficulty breathing; and cardiac issues. Long-term health effects include respiratory and cardiac disease, increased rates of certain cancers, and pre-term and still births.
How do we know how bad the air is?
The Environmental Protection Agency has created an air quality index (AQI) that is used throughout the country to rate how dangerous outdoor air pollution is. The AQI measures five major pollutants and uses a color code based on danger severity. Many local weather reports now regularly include the AQI. During a severe wildfire event in summer 2023, the AQI in several parts of New York state had index values of over 400.
How can a healthcare facility prepare for wildfire smoke conditions?
Make sure that the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system can handle (at a minimum) MERV-13 filters. While a HEPAlevel filter (MERV-17 and higher) will filter out all wildfire smoke contaminants, most HVAC systems cannot handle that high level of filtration. In most cases, a MERV-13 will capture a significant amount of wildfire smoke particulates. If the HVAC system cannot handle a MERV-13 level filter, then the healthcare facility needs to upgrade the system.
Make sure there are enough filters on hand for frequent replacement. During a wildfire smoke event, filters will clog more rapidly and will need to be replaced more often. This includes filters for the HVAC system, portable HEPA
units, infant incubators and medical air systems.
Distribute portable HEPA units throughout the facility to capture airborne pollutants that the HVAC filters did not capture. These units must be adequate for the size of the space they are expected to clean and create minimal noise.
Constantly monitor both the indoor and outdoor air for fine and ultrafine particle levels to make sure adequate protections are in place to keep the air clean.
Seal up cracks and openings in the building exterior that allow outdoor air to enter the facility without being filtered. Install air curtains in doorways that are frequently opened to prevent outside air from entering the building.
Make sure measures are in place to ensure adequate staffing, including maintenance staff to maintain and replace air filters, and healthcare staff to handle patient surges.
More information can be found at NYSNA’s healthcare facilities wildfire smoke guide.1
For further information and assistance, please contact NYSNA’s Occupational Health and Safety Representatives at healthandsafety@nysna.org.
Wildfire smoke is far more dangerous than regular air pollution. It contains hazardous gases, chemicals and ultrafine particles that can enter deep into the lungs and even cross into the bloodstream and other parts of the body.
New York City on June 2023 due to severe smoke pollution from Canadian wildfires
Plainview Nurses
March on the Boss to Pressure Northwell to the Table
After months of back and forth, management at Plainview Hospital/ Northwell has yet to agree on a bargaining location and continues to delay the bargaining process, leaving nurses frustrated and ready to escalate. On Aug. 22, nurses did just that and marched on the boss to the CNO and CFO to calling on Northwell management come to the table at a location that makes sense for nurses. LBU leaders Cindy Essenfield, RN and Lisa Fassini, RN presented the petition and made their demands heard! Way to go, Plainview Hospital nurses! (below)
Huntington Hospital Nurses Picket for a Fair Contract
On June 10, NYSNA nurses at Northwell Health/ Huntington Hospital showed up and walked the informational picket line for a fair contract! Despite the rain, nurses called on management to deliver a fair contract with the safe staffing that patients in Long Island deserve. Long Island Jobs for Justice and
fellow Northwell Health nurses from Plainview Hospital and South Shore University Hospital joined the nurses in solidarity. Huntington Hospital nurses are bargaining for their first contract since joining NYSNA in November 2024 and are ready to do whatever it takes to build power and ensure safe patient care in Long Island!
Hospital Violence Prevention Act Passes State Legislature
NYSNA and 1199SEIU
applaud the passage of bills
A203B/S5294B to amend Public Health Law to require hospitals and nursing homes to develop and implement comprehensive workplace violence safety and prevention programs and improve security in emergency rooms. This legislation will help ensure nurses and other frontline caregivers are
protected and that patients and their families are able to receive care in safe environments. NYSNA nurses have been speaking out in support of this measure throughout this legislative session. Nurses and healthcare workers will continue to advocate for policies that ensure that hospitals and nursing homes remain places of health and healing where all can safely receive care.
NYSNA Nurses Attend Hudson Valley Interregional Meeting
N
YSNA nurses from HealthAlliance Hudson Valley Hospital, Garnet Catskills Hospital, Vassar Brothers Medical Center and Putnam Hospital attended the Hudson Valley Interregional Meeting on June 25. Together, they celebrated recent victories, discussed the power of union solidarity among nurses, and strategized on how to fight against healthcare cuts! Margaret Franks, RN, BSN, NYSNA treasurer and local bargaining unit executive committee member at Vassar Brothers, gave an impassioned speech on the impending cuts to Medicaid and the impact that those will have on the region and community. Nurses left with renewed energy to fight for their patients and were encouraged to take action and speak out against cuts in Hudson Valley.
H+H/Kings County Hospital Nurses
Deliver Petition to Advocate for Patients
Syosset Nurses March on the Boss to Kick Start Negotiation
On July 15, NYSNA nurses at Mount Sinai South Nassau (MSSN) marched on the boss to the chief nursing officer’s office to demand having negotiations accessible on-site at the hospital or by adding a virtual meeting option. Management denied their request, but nurses made sure management heard their demands loud and clear. As management continues
to drag its feet on negotiations and refuses to make negotiations accessible, MSSN nurses held a sticker action calling on management to stop the delays and negotiate a fair contract now. MSSN nurses are not backing down and will continue to demand that management listen to the nurses, negotiate on-site or online, and settle the fair contract that nurses and patients deserve!
On July 30, intensive care unit (ICU) nurses at NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County delivered a petition demanding changes to the charge nurse’s patient load so they can focus on clinical oversight and unit coordination. Nurses delivered the petition to the director of nursing in the ICU and also requested an end to redundant nonclinical tasks that compromise their time dedicated to patient care. Management agreed to decrease the paperwork requirement for the charge nurse. Nurses are celebrating this initial victory and are committed to continuing to organize for better staffing in the ICU.
Over one-third of all NYSNA nurses at Syosset Hospital/ Northwell Health marched on the boss on Wednesday, Aug. 20, to demand Northwell stop dragging its feet, agree to a bargaining location and start negotiating a fair contract! Nurses packed the conference room and met with the hospital’s chief financial officer and the chief nursing officer. Some nurses had to stay in the doorway because of the high turnout. Nurses were energized and outspoken and had a clear message for Northwell: Stop stalling and start negotiating! Nurses are ready to bargain for safe staffing and the wages and benefits they deserve, and they are united in their demands for a fair contract. Way to go, Syosset nurses!
St. Anthony’s Community Hospital Nurses Deliver a Petition for a Fair Contract
NYSNA nurses at St. Anthony Community Hospital marched on the boss and delivered a petition signed by over 85% of nurses to the assistant vice president of nursing. The petition showed nurses’ commitment to fight for a fair contract that protects quality patient care, provides safe staffing, and includes a fair wage and benefits package that attracts and retains nurses. Nurses are planning to turn out in high numbers during bargaining sessions to show their union power!
BronxCare Nurses Demand Their PTO!
NYSNA nurses at BronxCare marched on the boss to the chief nurse officer’s office to deliver a majority petition demanding that the hospital honor an arbitrator’s award to pay the nurses the paid time off they earned. Nurses are outraged that the hospital administration isn’t implementing
an arbitrator’s decision that upholds NYSNA contract language on paid time off accruals. The nursing vice president received the petition but wouldn’t commit to action. NYSNA LBU President Joanne Popotte, RN, responded by reminding administration, “We’re not going to stop until we get justice.”
NYSNA Nurses Celebrate Our Diverse Communities and the Power of Labor in Summer Parades
Throughout the summer, NYSNA members participated in multiple parades to celebrate the diversity of our membership and the New York communities we serve. We also marched in four different Labor Day parades across the state to commemorate the power of labor.
Celebrating our LGBTQIA+ Members and Patients
In June, NYSNA nurses kicked off parade season by celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community. Nurses marched in the Buffalo Pride Parade on June 1; the Albany Pride Parade on June 8; and the New York City Pride Parade on June 29, which celebrates the anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, the birthplace of the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement. Being loud and proud about our solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community is more important than ever, because LGBTQIA+ rights, especially for people who identify as trans and gender nonconforming, are increasingly under attack. NYSNA nurses are always proud to support our LGBTQIA+ nurses and patients!
Juneteenth
On June 15, NYSNA nurses from Erie County Medical Center and Terrace View Long-Term Care marched in Buffalo’s Juneteenth Festival to celebrate Black joy, his-
tory and freedom. As diversity and equity initiatives come under scrutiny and healthcare cuts threaten the Black communities we serve, nurses understand it’s imperative to show up strong to one of the country’s largest and proudest Juneteenth celebrations to demonstrate our commitment to fighting for racial justice and health equity.
Celebrating Filipino Culture
NYSNA members and their families were proud to march in this year’s Filipino Day Parade in Albany on June 28. NYSNA nurse Don Argubano, RN, spoke during the parade’s opening ceremony to highlight the contributions of Filipino nurses in New York state and speak out for safe staffing at Albany Medical Center.
Celebrating Diverse Cultures in New York City
From dancing salsa down Fifth Avenue in July at the National Puerto Rican Day Parade to practicing bachata under the August
sun to celebrate Dominican pride at the Dominican Day Parade in New York City, NYSNA nurses celebrated the rich culture and heritage of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic at this year’s parades.
The following month, on Sept. 1, NYSNA members marched in the New York Carnival, or West Indian Day Parade — the largest celebration of West Indian heritage and culture in North America! This colorful and energetic parade displays the rich Caribbean culture found in New York City. These fun and engaging celebrations serve as a reminder to our communities that NYSNA nurses are proud to care for all New Yorkers.
Celebrating the Power of a Union
NYSNA nurses participated in four Labor Day celebrations this year to celebrate the power of labor. On Labor Day, Sept. 1, nurses marched in the Massena and Buffalo Labor Day Parades and attended the Albany Labor Day celebration. The following week, NYSNA members joined the New York City Central Labor Council (NYCCLC) and union siblings across the city, including NNU VA nurses whose union contract was terminated by Pres. Trump’s executive order, for the annual NYC CLC Labor Day Parade. Union rights are under attack at the federal level and bosses are emboldened to take away the gains workers have fought for. It’s more important than ever for union members to remember our history, celebrate our victories, and recommit to defending the rights we have fought for and won through decades of organizing.
Official Call to Convention 2025 Convention of the New York State
Nurses Association
Michelle Jones, MSN, RN, ANPC, NYSNA Secretary
October 28-29, Resorts World Catskills and The Kartrite
Resort
Monticello, NY
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 at bit.ly/nysnacon-2025 and enjoy an early bird rate if you register on or before Oct. 17. Check out the NYSNA website www.nysna.org/convention to review the Convention agenda and get the most up-to-date information on the Convention.
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 conference 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!
