FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 10, 2016
Contact: Carl Ginsburg, carl.ginsburg@nynsa.org, 917.405.1060 (Cell)
Ratification Votes at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown and St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson Show Nurse Solidarity
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK — Registered nurses at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown and St. Charles in Port Jefferson, two hospitals in the Catholic Health System on Long Island, announced today that they have overwhelmingly approved new contracts.
After marathon negotiating sessions, RN negotiating teams at both hospitals were able to reach agreements with hospital managements that keep nurses at the highest levels of patient care standards, wages and benefits.
The new contracts come after nurses at both hospitals voted on October 18 to authorize strikes at each facility.
Among the issues resolved in the negotiations are safe staffing levels, affordable health benefits, and fair wages. The new contracts call for:
- Raises in patient care standards, including additional nurses being added to shifts at both hospitals;
- Increases in health benefits and wages, including a 3% wage increase,
- Improved Staffing Enforcement language.
“Nurses at St. Catherine are always willing to stand up for safe patient care” said Tammy Miller, RN and executive committee member at St Catherine of Siena.
“The nurses at St. Charles Hospital are thrilled to ratify an agreement that protects both nurses and patients,” said Tracy Kosciuk, RN and President of the Local Bargaining Unit at St. Charles Hospital.
“Quality patient care is so important to our nurses that we were willing to continue the fight for a contract that takes measures to provide adequate staffing so patients get the care they deserve. Having our union behind us enabled nurses to speak up and educate the community on these important issues, and we look forward to working with the community in the future.”
These agreements come on the heels of contract ratifications between NYSNA and management at numerous hospitals across the state.
This summer, NYSNA members ratified contracts at three upstate hospitals: Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville, Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown and St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica.
NYSNA members also reached a historic contract settlement covering many New York City hospitals including:
- Bronx Lebanon Hospital
- Brooklyn Hospital Center
- Flushing Hospital Medical Center
- Maimonides Medical Center
- Montefiore Medical Center*
- Mount Sinai Hospital
- Mount Sinai St. Luke’s/Mount Sinai West
- New York Methodist Hospital
- Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center
- New York Presbyterian Hospital
- Richmond University Medical Center
- Staten Island University Hospital
*includes (greater NYC area): Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital, Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital
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The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) represents 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. For more information, please visit our website at www.nysna.org.
