NYSNA Update: August 7, 2026
NYSNA Nurses Hold Vigil in Solidarity With Haitian TPS Holders
On Wednesday, Aug. 5, NYSNA nurses held a candlelight vigil at Maimonides Medical Center to protest the healthcare shortages after the Trump administration terminated Haiti’s Temporary Protected Status (TPS). This termination leaves more than 300,000 Haitians in the United States vulnerable to increased enforcement activity and subject to deportation. Frontline nurses recognize the critical role that Haitian TPS holders — as nurses, medical assistants, techs, environmental workers and more — play in holding up our healthcare system.
New York Attorney General Leticia James; New York State Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn; New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams; New York City Council Members Mercedes Narcisse, Shahana Hanif, Farah N. Louis and Alexa Aviles; and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso joined the vigil in solidarity with Haitian TPS holders. ABC 7, BK Reader, the Brooklyn Paper, Crain’s, PIX11, Spectrum NY1 and 1010 WINS covered the vigil.
This termination has had a chilling effect on immigrant communities and Haitian workers across the country and has created massive shortages in healthcare facilities, disrupting care in and around New York City. At the vigil, NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said, “When healthcare workers live in fear of going to work, patient care suffers. This is more than an immigration issue; it’s an issue of public health.”
NYSNA nurses will continue to push back on this attack on Haitian immigrants and our healthcare system and will advocate for a reversal of this decision and a pathway to legal status for Haitian TPS holders. NYSNA is also providing support for union members concerned about their immigration status. Fill out this confidential form for more information and consultation, and share this flyer with your fellow NYSNA members. For more immigration resources, visit the New York Immigration Coalition’s website.
Sullivan County Nurses Vote to Ratify New Contract
On Monday, Aug. 3, NYSNA nurses voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new four-year contract with Sullivan County! Highlights of the contract include a 25% increase in wages over the life of the contract and retention of the NYSNA benefit plan. Congratulations on your hard-fought victory, Sullivan County nurses!
NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Nurses Gain Community and Ally Support in Their Fight for a Fair Contract
For months, NYSNA nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP)/Brooklyn Methodist Hospital have been fighting for a fair contract that improves nurse and patient safety and ensures safe, quality care for their community. This week, nurses continued to ramp up their campaign by canvassing at the New York Liberty game on Aug. 3. Alongside New York State Senator Jabari Brisport, Assembly Member Joanne Simon, New York City Council Member Tiffany Caban, former City Comptroller Brad Lander and the Central Labor Council, nurses spoke to community members about their campaign and collected signatures for a petition demanding that hospital President Juan Mejia and Liberty co-owner, billionaire philanthropist and NYP Board Member Clara Wu Tsai settle a fair contract for nurses and patients. So far, more than 2,000 community members have signed nurses’ petition!
Nurses also saw support from elected officials beyond the community canvass. On Thursday, Aug. 6, Lander and New York City Council Member Shahana Hanif sent a letter to Methodist leadership, calling on it to bargain with nurses in good faith. Nurses are hopeful that the strong support they received this week from community members and allies will bring hospital leadership back to the table, ready to meet nurses’ demands and settle a fair contract! Keep up the great work, Methodist nurses!