FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Dec. 29, 2023
Contact: Anna Sterling | anna.sterling@nysna.org | 646-673-0419
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
MONTEFIORE MOUNT VERNON NURSES RATIFY NEW CONTRACT, NEW ROCHELLE NURSES REACH TENTATIVE AGREEMENT
Nurses at Montefiore Mount Vernon Voted 98% to Ratify New Contract
New Rochelle Nurses Voting Today to Ratify Their Tentative Agreement
Nurses Are Calling on Montefiore Nyack to Step Up and Settle a Fair Contract On Time
Mount Vernon, N.Y.— Nurses at Montefiore Mount Vernon voted overwhelmingly in favor of a new contract Thursday by 98%. Nurses at New Rochelle are currently voting on a tentative agreement, with the voting expected to conclude this evening. Nurses are now calling on Montefiore Nyack Hospital to step up and settle a fair contract before the Dec. 31 contract expiration.
The Mount Vernon and New Rochelle tentative agreements come after nurses voted by a margin of 96% in favor of a strike authorization at all three Montefiore Lower Hudson Valley facilities earlier this month.
The contract for Mount Vernon and tentative agreement for New Rochelle include historic wage increases that bring these Montefiore nurses in line with pay standards of the Montefiore Bronx facilities and improvements in working conditions, including strengthened safe staffing enforcement language. Importantly, the agreements also improve healthcare benefits and uphold the NYSNA pension at no added cost.
In addition, the agreements provide increased tuition refunds and new mentorship programs, and increased pay for added responsibilities.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said: "Nurses power our healthcare system, and this historic contract is a resounding victory for their tireless efforts. From substantial wage boosts to improved working conditions, these wins reflect our unyielding commitment to quality patient care and our invaluable nursing community! We need Nyack to do the right thing and settle a fair contract with nurses now!”
Tracy McCook, RN, nurse at Montefiore Mount Vernon since 1988, said: “Our patients deserve the highest level of care, irrespective of their zip code. This contract, with strengthened staffing enforcement language and respectable wage increases, helps us reach that goal to ensure the safety of nurses and our patients. Our community needs this hospital to survive and thrive for years to come, and this new contract will help us do just that. We were excited to join with our other Montefiore colleagues in the Lower Hudson Valley, and now we will support our Nyack colleagues as they fight for a fair contract.”
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The New York State Nurses Association represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, the country's largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members nationwide.
