NYSNA Update: August 28, 2026
NYSNA Nurses Testify at Public Health and Health Planning Council Hearing in Support of Critical Hospital Mergers
On Thursday, Aug. 27, NYSNA nurses from Maimonides Medical Center and St. John’s Riverside Hospital traveled to Albany to testify in front of the New York State Public Health and Health Planning Council in support of the proposed mergers with NYC Health+Hospitals (H+H) and the Montefiore Health System, respectively. The mergers would help to stabilize the financially strained hospitals and ensure that they can continue to provide care for the communities they serve. NYSNA members voiced strong support for the merger between Maimonides and NYC H+H; for the merger between St. John’s and Montefiore, members voiced conditional support, contingent on increased oversight, reporting and transparency.
As frontline nurses, NYSNA members know that our first responsibility is to advocate for our patients, in and outside our hospitals. So, we will support hospital mergers and investments from the state that increase access to care and ensure that we can deliver the safe, quality care that all New Yorkers deserve. Keep up the great work, Maimonides and St. John’s Riverside members!
NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Nurses Ratify Strong Contract Agreement
Today, Aug. 28, NYSNA nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) Brooklyn Methodist Hospital voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new three-year contract agreement! Highlights of the contract include improvements to enforceable safe staffing language, strong protections against violence in healthcare settings for nurses and patients, and 4% annual wage increases across the life of the contract.
Nurses have been bargaining for a fair contract since spring. Following reports of NYSNA members being harassed, groped and assaulted while working and an active shooter incident earlier this year, nurses’ focus during this campaign was winning better protections against workplace violence.
On their contract victory, Local NYSNA President of NYP Brooklyn Methodist Aldrich Crespino, RN, said, “Nursing has always had its safety challenges, but recent incidents, including January’s lockdown because of an active shooter have shown us that we must prioritize the safety standards needed to keep our patients and ourselves safe. We’ve been determined to make sure management hears us loud and clear.”
Congratulations, Methodist nurses!
Adirondack Medical Center Nurses Escalate Campaign for a Fair Contract
On Saturday, Aug. 22, NYSNA nurses at Adirondack Medical Center ramped up their fight for a fair contract! First, nurses hung a banner calling on community members to show their support by emailing hospital CEO Aaron Kramer to demand a fair contract. After hanging the banner, members decided to march through town to ensure their demands were heard. They received many words of support from community members and honks of support by passing cars. Despite nurses’ banners being taken down, unlawfully, NYSNA members are united with community members in the fight to ensure safe, quality patient care for North Country residents! Keep up the great work, Adirondack nurses!