Long Island Nurses Take on New York’s Largest Private Employer

Northwell Health is New York State’s largest healthcare system and its largest private employer. The healthcare system operates two dozen hospitals, 900 outpatient care centers, and employs 104,000 people across New York and Connecticut, thanks to its recent merger with Nuvance. But as the healthcare giant continues to grow, nurses at a number of Northwell facilities are uniting to demand Long Island nurses and patients are not left behind.  

Huntington, Plainview, and Syosset Nurses Unite  

For months, nurses at Northwell/Huntington Hospital, Northwell/Plainview Hospital, and Northwell/Syosset Hospital have been bargaining for the fair contracts Long Island nurses and patients deserve, while management has been stalling. Northwell has come to the bargaining tables late and unprepared; left negotiations early; refused to make bargaining accessible to nurses; and has yet to make serious or meaningful counterproposals to what NYSNA nurses have put across the table. Northwell management has even prevented NYSNA nurses from attending bargaining via Zoom, which would ensure that every nurse has equitable access to bargaining and the ability to make their voice heard. Northwell wanted to use a mediator, then didn’t want to work with their preferred mediator—once again moving the goal post and slowing down any progress with negotiations.  

Long Island Jewish Nurses Secure Union Election Date

In Glen Oaks, after months of organizing, nurses at Northwell/Long Island Jewish are gearing up to vote to join NYSNA in their first union election. But they too are facing push back from their Northwell management. Northwell has been employing scare tactics to prevent nurses from talking to coworkers about the union. They’ve even employed out-of-state union busting consultants to prevent nurses from organizing and joining NYSNA—at rates of nearly $500 per hour. Despite this, nurses at Long Island Jewish have secured an election date and will vote to join NYSNA on Dec. 10 and 11.  

What’s Next?

Between stalling tactics at the bargaining table and the lengths they’re willing to go to prevent nurses from organizing at other Northwell facilities, it’s clear that Northwell management will do nearly anything to stop nurses from having a voice in their hospitals and in patient care. But Northwell's anti-union behavior is having the opposite of its intended effect, and nurses are activated and ready to say enough is enough.

On Friday, Dec. 12, nurses from Huntington, Plainview, and Syosset Hospitals are joining forces to hold a speak-out and rally in defense of safe, quality patient care at Northwell headquarters. Nurses from other Northwell facilities are invited to attend in solidarity to stand up to management. RSVP here to attend the speak-out to let Northwell management know that Long Island nurses and patients deserve a fair contract!