For Immediate Release: Feb. 24, 2023
Contact: Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
Diana Moreno | press@nysna.org | 917-327-2302
95% of Nurses Voted in Favor of Ratifying the Contract Three Days Before They Were Set to Strike
The Contract Improves Safe Staffing Standards and Enforcement, Increases Nurse Salaries, and Improves Retiree Health Benefits
Bay Shore, N.Y.— Today, nurses at South Shore University Hospital / Northwell Health voted overwhelmingly to ratify their new contract by 95%. Nurses were set to strike on Monday, Feb. 27 but withdrew their strike notice yesterday after reaching a tentative agreement in the early morning hours.
NYSNA nurses won improvements to safe staffing standards, including expedited arbitration of staffing disputes to enforce new standards, as part of the new contract. They also won an average 18.65% salary increase over the life of the three-year contract, including experience pay to retain nurses. The contract also includes the addition of Juneteenth as a paid holiday and improvement to retiree health benefits.
“Nurses fought for the care our patients deserve, and today we won,” said NYSNA local president at South Shore University Hospital Chrysse Blau, RN. “The new safe staffing standards and salary increases mean more nurses will choose to come and stay at South Shore, it means more nurses at the bedside when our patients need us most, and most importantly, it means we get to practice safely and with the dignity and respect we deserve.”
Labor and delivery nurse at South Shore Arielle Shea, RN, stated, “We are so relieved. None of us wanted to strike, we simply wanted our voices to be heard. This contract is a testament to what nurses can achieve when we fight together. I’m so proud of my colleagues for standing up for our profession, for each other, and for our patients. As a new mom myself, I’m excited to return to work knowing I will be able to provide excellent care to parents-to-be because of the improved staffing standards in our unit.”
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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.
For more information, visit nysna.org.
