Contact: Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
Eliza M. Bates | eliza.bates@nysna.org | 646-285-8491
NYC nurses are fighting for fair contracts that protect patient care as hospitals fail to provide good jobs to caregivers who put their lives on the line during the COVID-19 pandemic
Actions also taking place at NY-Presbyterian, Mt. Sinai, and Montefiore throughout the week
New York, NY - With two-thirds of RNs across the country saying they are planning to leave the profession in the next two years, NYSNA nurses are sounding the alarm on the staffing crisis that has left caregivers burnt out and at their breaking point. Nurses say that hospitals are not doing enough to keep them at the bedside – from safe staffing ratios to good healthcare benefits to competitive pay. NYSNA members at twelve hospitals in New York City, including Brooklyn safety-net hospitals The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Maimonides, Interfaith Medical Center, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center have contracts expiring on Dec. 31.
WHAT/WHO: NYSNA RNs from The Brooklyn Hospital Center speak out about staffing crisis and fight for fair contracts, along with allies including Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, Assemblymember William Colton, New York City Councilmember and Chair of the Hospitals Committee Mercedes Narcisse, and NYC4CEDAW Chair Sheila Katzman.
WHEN: Thursday, October 27 at 12:00 P.M. (noon) in Brooklyn
WHERE: In front of The Brooklyn Hospital Center, 121 Dekalb Ave.
“Our nurses shouldn’t have to take to the streets to get the fair pay, essential benefits, and safe staffing they deserve,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “A deep appreciation and honor for our nurses is not and was never enough – we need to build the real, tangible solutions that will provide our nurses peace, stability, and a safe workplace. Our hospitals have a responsibility to care for the people who care for our entire city and must bear that in mind as they work with our nurses to create fair and just contracts.”
NYSNA nurses are part of a national movement. Members voted to affiliate with National Nurses United, uniting the voices of 42,000 NYSNA RNs with the 180,000 members of NNU across the nation. This is the first time since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that so many nurses will be bargaining for their profession and their patients. Nurses are coming together like never before because they are exhausted and demanding change from New York’s hospitals. They are uniting with labor, community, and political allies and are ready to do whatever it takes to win fair contracts that improve patient care, strengthen the nursing workforce, and uplift communities.
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The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. For more information, visit nysna.org.
