NYSNA Update: September 11, 2026
Sept. 11 Memorial
Today, on the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, we remember those who lost their lives in the attacks and in the years since. We will never forget the sacrifices of the union workers, first responders and service members who risked their own health to rescue others that day and rebuild our city in the months that followed. And we will always advocate for the resources and staff to care for those who put everything on the line to care for us!
NYSNA Nurses March and Rally to Honor Workers and Remember Sept. 11
On Tuesday, Sept. 8, NYSNA nurses, including NYSNA directors at large Sonia Lawrence, BSN, RN and Pauline Wallace, BSN, RN, joined a New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO Labor Day rally and march alongside our union siblings, elected officials and community members to celebrate the workers who run New York City, to recognize the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11, and to honor the union workers who responded to the attacks and helped rebuild our city afterward. NYSNA Southern Regional Director Alizia McMyers, MSN, RN, MHA — a care management nurse at NYC Health+Hospitals/Harlem — spoke powerfully at the rally, saying: “As a nurse who worked through 9/11, the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ebola crisis and natural disasters, I know that union workers are the people who keep this city going in difficult times.”
Union workers built New York, and we must continue to fight for a city that cares for all New Yorkers! Check out photos from the event here.
And in Albany, Buffalo and Massena, NYSNA nurses marched in Labor Day parades and joined Labor Family Days to celebrate workers’ contributions.
Montefiore Weiler Nurses Pack the Room at Labor Management
For months, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses at Montefiore Weiler have faced dire understaffing; lack of crucial supplies; and lack of a dedicated transport/resource nurse, which was a staffing improvement they won in the 2026 contract campaign and strike. To address these issues, NICU nurses met several times to gather the facts and prepare member-leaders to present their concerns to management.
At last week’s labor management meeting, NICU nurses made their case as dozens of their colleagues joined them at the meeting. Immediately, NICU nurses won an improvement by getting management to implement a staffing incentive program, which gives NICU nurses an extra $500 for each shift they work overtime. Management also agreed to fill vacancies and address shortfalls in supplies. Nurses kept up the pressure later that day, showing up to a Department of Health meeting, alongside 1199SEIU members, to speak about staffing complaints at the facility.
Despite these victories, there’s still more work to do. Management did not commit to following its contractual agreement to staff the NICU with a dedicated transport/resource nurse, so NYSNA nurses will continue to organize to hold management accountable! Keep up the great work, Montefiore Weiler nurses!