NYSNA Update: June 20, 2025
NYSNA Celebrates Juneteenth!
NYSNA commemorates Juneteenth and honors all who fought to abolish slavery in the United States. Last weekend, NYSNA nurses proudly marched in Buffalo’s Juneteenth parade to commemorate this national holiday. NYSNA members recognize that the fight to end racism and win health equity for all New Yorkers is far from over. This is why NYSNA members throughout New York continue to organize to have Juneteenth recognized in their contracts as a premium holiday. It is also why we are fighting cuts to our public and safety-net hospitals, because these disproportionately impact Black New Yorkers, perpetuate systemic racism and worsen health disparities in our healthcare system.
NYSNA Continues to Get Out the Vote!
This week, NYSNA was out in force knocking on doors to get New Yorkers out to vote for pro-labor champions. We were out for Jenn Puja for Westchester County Legislator, and NYSNA joined the New York City Central Labor Council and our labor siblings from RWDSU/UFCW Local 338 and 32BJSEIU to knock on doors for candidates for New York City Council Kevin Riley, Mercedes Narcisse, Alexa Aviles, Shahana Hanif and Pierina Sanchez. NYSNA members also joined a rally in support of New York City Comptroller candidate Justice Brannan.
You can still help elect NYSNA champions who will make a difference in the lives of nurses, healthcare workers and our patients! Help us build political power for our union and make sure we elect pro-worker, pro-healthcare representatives to office so we can hold employers and special interests accountable. Sign up for phone banking or door-knocking and check out the flyer here.
NYSNA Continues to Speak Out Against Federal Healthcare Cuts
This week, NYSNA nurses joined a town hall meeting at One Brooklyn Health/Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn with Congress Member Hakeem Jeffries and an in-district meeting in West Nyack alongside NYSUT, NYS AFL-CIO, 1199/SEIU, and the Hudson Valley Area Labor Federation with Congress Member Mike Lawler to speak out against the Medicaid cuts and other critical programs that Congress is considering right now. The cuts the Senate hopes to pass before July 4 would make even deeper cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. NYSNA Treasurer Margaret Franks, RN, BSN, along with other Rockland County Center Labor Council union leaders emphasized that Medicaid and other healthcare cuts would decimate New Yorkers’ access to care, hospital funding, healthcare jobs and New York’s economy.
The fight to stop the cuts continues on Monday, June 23. Join NYSNA nurses,1199/SEIU healthcare workers, labor, and community allies at rallies across New York to stop Medicaid cuts at NYP Columbia, NYP Methodist, Mt. Sinai Main, Wyckoff, Interfaith, Brooklyn Hospital, RUMC, Northwell-Peconic Bay, Monte Nyack, and Columbia Memorial-AMC. All will take place during lunchbreak starting at 12 p.m. Please join your NYSNA and 1199 colleagues in front of the main entrance of your facility on your break or if you have the day off!