Nyack, N.Y.— After a bargaining session that lasted 24-hours and before a Dec. 31 contract expiration date, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses at Montefiore Nyack Hospital reached a tentative agreement with the hospital. More than 400 nurses at Nyack are now poised to vote on whether to ratify the new tentative agreement that includes:
This latest tentative agreement comes on the heels of settlements at two other Montefiore Lower Hudson Valley hospitals, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle Hospitals. Nearly 800 nurses across the three facilities bargained with a common contract expiration date and common bargaining platform for the first time.
Voting to ratify the tentative agreement is scheduled for early January.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said: “I could not be prouder of these nurses, who demonstrated tremendous solidarity and resolve through months of difficult negotiations. When nurses fight, we win for our patients and our profession. The landmark gains in this tentative agreement will help our nurses deliver the quality care every community deserves.”
Anna Marie Perkins, RN, the president of the local bargaining unit at Montefiore Nyack, said: “Nurses at Nyack have been struggling to achieve safe staffing ratios, competitive wages and better benefits that will help fill nurse vacancies and retain nurses for quality care. Better benefits like the NYSNA pension will help retain nurses and demonstrate respect for the hard work we do. This agreement finally puts Nyack nurses in line with wages and benefits of other Montefiore facilities and that should make a huge difference in retaining nurses and improving working conditions and quality care for our patients.”
The nurses held speak-outs with labor, community, and elected allies in November at Mount Vernon and Nyack Hospital in December. They spoke out about understaffing and high nurse vacancy rates at the facilities, and demanded fair contracts that would help recruit and retain enough nurses for safe, quality patient care.
On Dec. 19, approximately 96% of the nurses voted to authorize a strike at Montefiore Nyack, New Rochelle, and Mount Vernon Hospitals in the Lower Hudson Valley, demonstrating they were ready to do whatever it takes to win a fair contract.
The New York State Nurses Association represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, the country's largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members nationwide.
The New York State Nurses Association is a union of 42,000 frontline nurses united together for strength at work, our practice, safe staffing, and healthcare for all. We are New York's largest union and professional association for registered nurses.
