Members of the New York State Nurses Association have ratified their four-year contract with the NYC Hospital Alliance, a bargaining group that includes Montefiore, Mount Sinai and New York–Presbyterian health systems.
The contract was ratified by a large majority and expires on December 31, 2022.
“The agreement includes staffing ratio language calling for the initial hiring of 1,500 new nurses. The initial hires will include nurses to fill current vacancies, and will also include an additional $100 million dollars to hire nurses for newly added full-time positions,” according to a press release on the association’s web site.
Registered nurse staffing will be based on safe staffing ratios that will be included in the collective bargaining agreements and enforced by an independent neutral party.
“The contract also includes across the board wage increases of 3% in each year of the contract and full retro-pay. For all facilities, the contract calls for millions of dollars for retiree health benefits, tuition reimbursement as well as other monetary benefits. The contract strengthens worker protections including new guidelines to stop workplace violence, a process to improve safe patient handling, and language allowing nurses to aid victims of disasters inside or outside the United States,” the release added.
“Everyone in these negotiations recognized that there are not enough nurses to safely care for our patients. With this contract, we’ve come a long way to resolving the critical under-staffing at the three hospital systems. That’s been our priority throughout. ‘Safe staffing saves lives’ is our reality and with this contract we have made tremendous gains that will help us provide safe, quality care to our patients,” said Anthony Ciampa, RN, NYSNA First Vice President and President, New York-Presbyterian Executive Committee.
“We have made significant strides based on these contracts: Front line Registered Nurses, Nurse Practitioners, Nurse Anesthetists, Case Managers, and Midwives will now have effective input in establishing nurse-to-patient grids that will ensure that our #1 priority, safe staffing, will be achieved. Most importantly, for the first time ever, we now have transparent, enforcement mechanisms that hold all parties accountable in achieving this goal. The combination of staffing-grids, enforceability, and transparency is the winning trifecta for both our patients and our nurses,” said Robin Krinsky, RN, NYSNA Board Member and President, Mt. Sinai Hospital Executive Committee.
“It was the unity and determination of frontline nurses who fought hard to improve conditions for nurses and additional staffing for patients. Our commitment to our patients was the driving force behind this contract,” said Bernita Stewart, RN and Member, Montefiore Medical Center Executive Committee.
