NYSNA nurses from Gracie Square Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the few dedicated psychiatric hospitals in New York City, will speak out to demand safe staffing and competitive wages to ensure safe patient care

Manhattan, N.Y.– After more than three months at the bargaining table, NYSNA members from Gracie Square Hospital, an affiliate of NewYork-Presbyterian, will picket outside the hospital and speak out to demand safe staffing and a fair contract. As New York City faces a mental-health crisis exacerbated by the closure of psychiatric beds throughout New York City, Gracie Square Hospital management has refused to staff enough nurses to care for patients safely. While the hospital has increased its bed capacity to meet increasing mental healthcare demands, administrators have failed to increase staffing to meet this demand. Nurses are forced to address the dramatic increase of acuity of psych patients without safe staffing.

Earlier this year, private-sector hospitals in New York City settled fair contracts with nurses, including NewYork-Presbyterian's flagship hospital in Manhattan and Brooklyn-Methodist. Nurses are calling on hospital administrators to start negotiating in good faith to address staffing concerns and invest in nurse recruitment and retention efforts to ensure safe patient care by providing competitive wages that meet the raises won by nurses across New York City.

WHO: NYSNA nurses from Gracie Square Hospital.
WHAT: Picket and Speak-out on Safe Staffing at Gracie Square Hospital. 
WHERE: Gracie Square Hospital 420 E 76th St, New York, NY 10021 
WHEN: Friday, July 7 from 8 a.m. – 10 a.m. and 12 p.m. – 2 p.m.   
VISUALS: Dozens of nurses holding signs, marching and chanting. Nurses will describe conditions in the hospital and detail the fight for safety and a fair contract.