NYSNA Update: October 23, 2026
NYSNA Nurses Hold Emergency Rally at NYC Health+Hospitals/Kings County
On Thursday, Oct. 22, NYSNA nurses from New York City (NYC) Health+Hospitals (H+H)/Kings County held an emergency rally to demand the reinstatement of a suspended nurse leader! On Friday, Oct. 9, the NYC H+H/Kings County local bargaining unit vice president was suspended for advocating for patient safety and discussing documented and long-standing staffing concerns that bedside nurses raised. In response, nurses organized a community petition — which has already received over 1,000 signatures — and a rally and press conference to show management that they will not tolerate management targeting outspoken union activists.
New York State Senator Jabari Brisport; President of the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO Brendan Griffith; and representatives from the offices of Assembly Member Brian Cunningham, Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest, New York City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse and Council Member Rita Joseph; as well as CIR-SEIU and Citizen Action of New York joined nurses at the rally. Crain's, Brooklyn Paper and PIX11 covered the rally.
Advocating for patient safety and discussing staffing concerns constitute protected union activities, and hospital administrators’ decision to suspend a nurse leader for those actions is union busting. NYSNA nurses will not stand for this and will continue to demand that H+H reinstate the suspended nurse leader and address nurses’ concerns about staffing ratios. Keep up the great work, Kings County nurses!
NYSNA Members at UVMH-CVPH Ratify New Contract!
On Thursday, Oct. 22, NYSNA nurses and healthcare professionals at University of Vermont Health-Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital (CVPH) voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new four-year contract! Highlights of the contract include improvements to enforceable safe staffing language, strong protections against workplace violence and artificial intelligence, and 3% annual wage increases across the life of the contract. On top of the strong contract language that members secured, they also won retroactive pay for the first time in decades! Congratulations on your hard-fought victory, CVPH nurses and healthcare professionals!
Northwell Health/Putnam Hospital Nurses Hold Virtual Town Hall to Defend Patient Care
On Monday, Oct. 19, NYSNA nurses from Northwell Health/Putnam Hospital held a virtual town hall to spotlight staffing issues nurses are facing and how those issues impact patient care in Putnam County. Nearly 100 nurses, elected officials, labor allies and community members attended the town hall, including New York State Senator Pete Harckham and Marty Sommer, vice president of the Westchester-Putnam Labor Body. Mid Hudson News covered the town hall.
For nearly a year, nurses have been bargaining for a new contract, but Northwell has repeatedly ignored nurses’ input in establishing and maintaining staffing guidelines that ensure safe staffing and better patient outcomes. They also refuse to include any meaningful enforcement mechanisms in the contract, preventing nurses from holding hospital administrators accountable when units are understaffed. Despite Northwell’s unwillingness to negotiate, Putnam nurses will not be deterred and held the town hall to make sure their community knows that Northwell is prioritizing profits over safe, quality patient care. Keep up the good work, Putnam nurses, and stay tuned for more ways to support our members at Putnam!