Brooklyn Hospital Center Nurses Win Battle to Restore Health and Pension Benefits

Earlier this year, hospital executives at The Brooklyn Hospital (TBHC) stopped making payments into nurses’ health and pension benefit fund. After missed payments, nurses continued working and caring for patients without health benefits while fighting for the health coverage they need to keep themselves, their families and their patients safe. After months of advocacy, NYSNA nurses secured the benefits their hospital had promised them, showing that when NYSNA nurses fight, we win! 

Broken Promises 

In late 2025 and early 2026, TBHC nurses fought alongside 20,000 New York City private-sector nurses and won safe staffing, workplace violence protections for nurses and patients, respectful wages and benefits, and other important protections. They averted a strike when TBHC management, along with other safety net hospitals, agreed to tentative agreements that secured their benefits, which was nonnegotiable for frontline nurses who care for NYC’s most vulnerable patients every day. However, despite their commitment, TBHC reneged on their promise and failed to make the necessary payments to secure nurses’ health and pension benefits for months, forcing nurses to delay important treatments and medications. 

While nurses continued to care for patients without their vital coverage, hospital officials raked in millions and kept their own health coverage. Recent filings show that TBHC CEO Gary Terrinoni brought in nearly $2 million in executive pay; while telling nurses the hospital couldn’t afford to maintain their benefits. The hospital also received millions in stabilization funding from New York state— but only made a partial payment that was not enough to restore nurses’ benefits.  

Fighting for What We Deserve 

NYSNA nurses took swift action and showed the hospital that they would not back down until they got what they deserved. Nurses held speak-outs, leafletted communities, marched to the CEO’s luxury condo, and lobbied lawmakers to share how the loss of coverage was forcing many nurses and their families to delay critical care. Together with allies, nurses made it clear that working without health coverage was dangerous for themselves, their families and the communities they cared for.  

After months of pressure from nurses and elected officials, the hospital finally paid nurses' benefits in full. The hospital reinstated nurses’ health coverage, and after a couple more weeks, also paid their pension benefits. After remedying these outstanding issues, nurses were finally able to ratify the contract they’d fought so hard to win earlier in the year. On April 16, nurses voted on their new contract and ratified it overwhelmingly.  

Congratulations, Brooklyn Hospital Center nurses! You successfully fought to restore the critical health and pension benefits nurses need to effectively and safely care for your community.  

While federal cuts to healthcare funding are impacting safety-net hospitals across New York State, hospital management cannot cuts costs on the backs of frontline caregivers. Every day, nurses work hard to care for New York’s most vulnerable patients, and hospital executives must protect the health and safety of patients and nurses. NYSNA nurses will not back down when hospital executives prioritize profits over patients!