NYSNA Update: July 24, 2026
Victory: Catholic Health/St. Joseph’s Hospital Nurses Reach Tentative Agreement
This week, NYSNA nurses at Catholic Health/St. Joseph’s Hospital reached a tentative agreement for a new contract! The agreement comes after months of bargaining with hospital management and just week after NYSNA members at Catholic Health/St. Charles Hospital voted to overwhelmingly ratify a new contract. Highlights of the agreements include the addition of new FTE float pool positions, safeguards against artificial intelligence and wage increases every year of the new contract. Nurses at St. Joseph’s will vote to ratify the contract this coming week. Now, St. Catherine of Siena is the only Catholic Health hospital where administrators have yet to settle a fair contract. With that contract expiring at the end of the month, NYSNA nurses are ready to fight and win what they deserve!
NYSNA Nurses at St. Vincent’s Hospital Ratify New Contract
This week, after months of bargaining, NYSNA nurses at St. Vincent’s Hospital voted to ratify a new four-year contract! Highlights of the contract include maintaining nurses’ health insurance, improvements to staffing enforcement language and 4% increases across the life of the contract. Congratulations, St. Vincent’s nurses!
Northstar/Claxton-Hepburn Nurses Continue Fight Back Against Proposed Closure
Last week, NYSNA nurses learned that North Star Health Alliance submitted a plan to close the maternal health unit at Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center. After decades of service cuts, closures and disinvestment in the North Country, Claxton-Hepburn is just one of two hospitals left in St. Lawrence County that still offers maternal health services. Recognizing the potential impact of the proposed closure on birthing people in St. Lawrence County and patients across the North Country, NYSNA nurses are continuing to push back on the proposed closure. Check out coverage of the closure and nurses’ fight to keep the maternal health unit open in North Country Now, NNY 360, and WWNY 7 — and if you haven’t already, sign the petition to save these critical services.
Yesterday, we learned that North Star entered into an affiliation agreement with Rochester Regional Health but still plans to move ahead with the closure of maternal health at Claxton-Hepburn. NYSNA responded, demanding the health system reconsider the closure of essential services. Next week, NYSNA nurses from several North Country hospitals will also hold a speak-out before North Star’s community forum to demand North Star and Rochester Regional stop the cuts. When patient care is under attack, we stand up and fight back!