Adirondack Medical Center Nurses Hold First Picket in 25 Years
For nearly a year, NYSNA nurses at Adirondack Medical Center have been bargaining for a fair contract that ensures safe, quality care for their community and includes the affordable health benefits necessary to recruit and retain nurses.
On Wednesday, Oct. 7, nurses held the first informational picket outside the hospital in 25 years to make it clear they are not backing down from the fight for a fair contract. Their action was covered by North Country Public Radio, NBC 5, and the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.
Frontline Nurses Deserve Affordable Health Benefits
Nurses’ top priority during this contract campaign is securing entrance to the NYSNA Benefit Fund, which would deliver affordable healthcare benefits to nurses and their families. Currently, nurses’ only option is an expensive, employer-provided health plan with one in-network provider: Adirondack Medical Center. Nurses have reported being denied medically necessary procedures and paying high co-pays for services not offered at Adirondack, including cancer treatments and follow-up scans. Nurses have also had to forgo care or pay out-of-pocket for tests and treatments.
Toby Ringland, RN, was diagnosed with cancer 11 months ago. The treatment she needed is not offered at Adirondack, so she was forced to travel an hour to Plattsburgh and pay out-of-pocket. Now, after finishing chemotherapy, she has to fight to get coverage for follow-up scans to monitor the cancer.
At the picket, Ringland said: “Frontline nurses deserve affordable health benefits. We’re the people taking care of our community day in and day out. So why should we spend a fortune to keep ourselves healthy – especially when that money goes right back into our employer’s pocket?"
Other nurses have reported going without health insurance (and therefore medications) and enrolling their children in Child Health Plus, New York’s state-provided health insurance, because it’s more affordable than Adirondack’s family coverage.
A Fair Contract for the Community
Adirondack nurses are fighting for the fair contract that nurses and patients deserve. Adirondack Medical Center is a small community hospital in a pricey area of the Adirondack Park, making it difficult to recruit and retain nurses. NYSNA members say the hospital’s benefit package is a big part of this problem.
Adirondack is the only NYSNA-represented facility left in the North Country without access to the NYSNA Benefit Fund. Prospective nurses who have a family or plan to in the future are hesitant to take a job with expensive and limited healthcare benefits.
What’s Next?
Adirondack nurses are not backing down from their fight for a fair contract. Over the last few months, nurses have marched on the boss, launched an email action targeting hospital CEO Aaron Kramer, and hung banners in town to raise awareness of their fight.
NYSNA members will return to bargaining next week. They will do whatever it takes to secure a contract that ensures safe patient care for their community. Keep up the good fight, Adirondack nurses!