NYSNA Update: October 31, 2025
Strength in Solidarity: Highlights From the 2025 NYSNA Convention
This week, NYSNA members from across the state came together for the 2025 NYSNA Convention. The Convention took place at Resorts World Catskills and the Kartrite Resort on Oct. 28 and 29 in Monticello, New York. This year’s Convention was the largest in NYSNA history, with over 1,000 members in attendance. This year’s Convention theme was “Strength in Solidarity.”
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, kicked off the Convention strong. She reminded members that because of the unprecedented attacks on our healthcare system and workers’ rights, “nurses and healthcare workers will need to stick together and build our solidarity within the labor movement to hold our ground. We’ll need to build our solidarity and strength to win a healthcare system that we all deserve. We must act. We must keep flexing our power—in our facilities and on the local, state and national level.” Nurses filled the meeting hall by chanting “Hands off our healthcare” and vowed to keep fighting to ensure that all New Yorkers get the healthcare they deserve.
Day 1 was filled with educational workshops where nurses learned how to use their voice in the press and on social media, learned about the campaign to pass the New York Health Act, learned about the threat of artificial intelligence, learned how to organize new nurses and more. Ulster County Executive Jennifer Metzger, Fiscal Policy Institute Health Policy Director Michael Kinnucan, and Community Voices Heard Executive Director Juanita O. Lewis joined nurses for an informative panel on the impacts of the federal healthcare cuts on our hospitals. NYSNA members closed the evening with special guest speakers, including Mario Cilento, New York State AFL-CIO president, who reminded nurses, “Since January 20, the labor movement in this country has been under attack like never before,” and encouraged NYSNA members to get involved in political organizing to fight back against attacks on workers’ rights. The night ended in a social event where nurses brought their energy to the dance floor.
Day 2 of Convention was a robust day of union democracy with NYSNA delegates introducing, discussing, and voting on resolutions to guide the union’s direction. Nurses also continued to engage in workshops and learned how to enhance their physical assessment skills, prevent workplace violence, and protest their assignments. Nurses from across the state were empowered to fight for their rights, fight for a fair contract in their facilities, and continue doing the organizing work of building power in their facilities and in New York to protect healthcare for all New Yorkers! Check out photos from the convention on our Facebook page.
NNU RNRN Stand By: Hurricane Melissa Response
RNRN is preparing for a potential deployment to assist victims in the wake of Hurricane Melissa.
Since barreling through the Caribbean earlier this week as one of the strongest storms to ever affect the region, Melissa left catastrophic damage across western Jamaica as well as parts of Cuba and Haiti. Search and rescue operations are still ongoing, and communication is just now being restored to many areas, with ground access also still very difficult. It is expected that the clean-up and recovery from the storm will be long and arduous. Priorities at this time are the provision of food, water, medical supplies, and generators to the affected regions.
RNRN partner International Medical Corps is currently on the ground in Jamaica working with local officials to determine if and where a medical team deployment might be needed to assist the victims both for immediate needs as well as for the longer-term recovery phase.
If you are interested in being considered for a potential deployment, go to this link to apply.
Huntington Hospital Nurses Tell Northwell: No More Tricks; Treat Nurses With Respect!
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, NYSNA nurses at Huntington Hospital/Northwell Health wore stickers that said, “Northwell: No More Tricks! Treat Nurses With Respect” as they headed into their bargaining session and after management announced that it’s adding additional patients to nurses’ load. Huntington nurses have been escalating their fight for a fair contract, but Northwell management continues to drag its feet in meeting nurses’ commonsense proposals of safe staffing and respectful wages and benefits.
The sticker action comes after nurses attended a NYSNA town hall last week, where they received and reviewed a strike manual and learned about training opportunities to continue to escalate their organizing and get management to listen. One thing is clear: Huntington nurses are ready to do whatever it takes to win a fair contract!