Kingston Hospital RNs seek to join Health Alliance colleagues in the Nurses Association

Health Alliance nurses say they will all be stronger if they’re united

KINGSTON, Aug. 30, 2010 – Registered nurses at Kingston Hospital filed a petition for election Friday afternoon with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

The nurses are seeking to join their Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley colleagues at Benedictine Hospital in being represented for collective bargaining by the New York State Nurses Association.

Kingston nurses believe that, as professionals, they will benefit from union representation. They say that management’s unilateral decisions are affecting them on a personal level when these decisions compromise their ability to provide exemplary patient care.

Kingston nurses say their workplace environment has deteriorated in recent years and that they are growing concerned about their ability to provide safe patient care. The RNs say their staffing has become insufficient and that they don’t have enough ancillary staff or support from management.

NYSNA has a long history representing nurses and negotiating innovative contracts that address RNs’ needs specifically. Benedictine and Kingston nurses believe that if they are united, represented by one organization, they would all be stronger.

The Nurses Association has helped RNs throughout the state improve their wages, benefits, and working conditions. Working with the association, the Health Alliance RNs have already:

corrected RN overpayment for health care benefits
obtained a binding arbitration process to resolve grievances, and
negotiated layoff and seniority provisions

At nearby Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie, the association helped RNs win retiree health benefits and wage increases that helped the facility remain a competitive employer.

All of these factors are important when a facility is trying to recruit nurses and encourage them to stay on staff.

The New York State Nurses Association is the voice for nursing in the Empire State. With more than 36,000 members, it is the state's largest professional association and largest union for registered nurses. It supports nurses and nursing practice through education, research, legislative advocacy, and collective bargaining.

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