Hundreds of NYSNA Nurses Gathered to Launch NYC Private Sector Contract Campaign to Defend NYC's Healthcare
For immediate release: Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025
Contact: Andrea Penman-Lomeli | press@nysna.org | 347-559-3169
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
HUNDREDS OF NYSNA NURSES GATHERED TO LAUNCH NYC PRIVATE SECTOR CONTRACT CAMPAIGN TO DEFEND NYC’S HEALTHCARE
20,000 NYSNA Nurses at 12 Private-Sector Hospitals Launched Campaign to Defend New York’s Healthcare System and Ensure There Are Always Enough Nurses to Care for Our City
Amidst Looming Medicaid Cuts That Threaten Healthcare for the Most Vulnerable New Yorkers, “Nurses Care for New York” Represents NYSNA Nurses United in Their Fight for Safe Patient Care
New York, NY – On Thursday, Aug. 14, hundreds of NYSNA nurses launched their contract campaigns, representing over 20,000 nurses at 12 private-sector hospitals. Their contracts expire on December 31, 2025, and include some of the wealthiest hospital systems in the country, like New York-Presbyterian. Nurses—from all five boroughs, working in academic medical centers and safety-net hospitals—are demanding fair contracts that defend safe patient care and are united behind a five-point platform that ensures that there are always enough nurses to care for our city.
Amidst broader attacks on healthcare, NYSNA nurses’ campaign “Nurses Care for New York” defends New York’s healthcare system and ensures that all New Yorkers have access to safe patient care. NYSNA nurses are united around a five-point platform that consists of:
- Quality patient care through enforceable safe staffing.
- Defend access to care when our patients’ healthcare services and staff are under attack.
- Protect nurses, so we can continue to care for you.
- Every patient deserves a real nurse.
- Fair wages and benefits to recruit and retain nurses.
Nationwide, cuts to federal Medicaid and other healthcare services will result in more uninsured patients and less hospital funding. Nurses are fighting back to protect patient care and demanding that elected officials and hospitals do everything possible to maintain the services and staff our communities need.
For months, NYSNA nurses have spoken out against federal healthcare cuts and for the preservation of frontline staff and services at some of the wealthiest hospitals, like NewYork-Presbyterian, which despite strong financials and outrageous executive pay, made unnecessary staffing and service cuts in the spring.
Nearly three years ago, this same group of New York City nurses secured historic union contracts that helped hospitals recruit and retain thousands more nurses to improve patient care. NYSNA nurses ensured that as hospitals continued to recover financially from the COVID-19 pandemic, they invested in patient care, not just executive pay. This contract campaign means that there are now more than 20,000 nurses in these hospitals, and New Yorkers have access to safer patient care. Nurses are fighting to protect that progress.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said, “We are deeply proud of what we achieved in 2023 and are ready for another fight. This is not just about the future of nursing in this city, it is about the future of healthcare. NYSNA nurses have been on the frontlines caring for patients while fighting to protect access to care. We have to hold our bosses’ feet to the fire. We cannot allow some of the richest and most financially stable hospital systems to use federal cuts as an excuse to cut staff and services. We cannot allow hospital executives to eat steak and lobster while our units are being starved of nurses. Safe patient care is far too important.”
NYSNA Secretary Michelle Jones, RN, NP, said, “NYSNA nurses and healthcare workers are ready to fight for our patients and win fair contracts that continue to raise the standard for nurses and patient care. This means we must organize to alleviate the impacts of the federal government’s appalling Medicaid cuts, fight at the state and local levels to ensure our patients have access to quality care, and speak out against employers who are taking advantage of this critical moment to put profits over patients."
NYSNA Director at Large Aretha Morgan, RN, MSN, said “Hospitals will continue to try to put profits before patients and reduce access to care in the city. We are here to defend our patients and make sure that access to care is protected. There is no reason why some of the wealthiest hospitals, with the highest-paid CEOs in the medical industry, should cut access to essential services and staff.”
Zohran Mamdani, Assembly Member and Democratic Nominee, said, “As Donald Trump facilitates the largest wealth transfer from the working and middle class to billionaires, we cannot sit idly by and watch New York City nurses be shortchanged. We must not only fight for fair contracts but make sure this city is affordable for nurses — on and off the clock.”
“In this moment, when Trump and his administration are slashing funding for healthcare, I have never been prouder to stand with New York’s nurses,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “To ensure that Brooklynites receive the best care, it is crucial that our hospitals are fully staffed and that staff receive the best pay and benefits. NYSNA has been at the forefront of that fight, and I stand firm in my support for them and their demands for a fair contract for all of New York’s nurses.”
“NYSNA is seeking a contract that is fair not only for its members, but for the patients they care for,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “A fair contract would guarantee safe staffing levels, so every unit in every hospital always has enough nurses to provide the essential health care services they are relied upon to deliver. Our nurses have long been on the front lines of the health care system, so we need to support them in this critically important fight.”
Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson, said, “Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare system and a lifeline for so many families across our borough. From the emergency room to the recovery room, nurses show up for us every single day, providing skilled care with compassion and dignity. As they begin contract negotiation, I stand with the members of the New York State Association on their fight for fair contracts that ensure safe staffing and protect quality care for all New Yorkers. We must not allow reductions in services or staffing that endanger lives. Our hospitals must prioritize patients over profits and make the critical investments our communities deserve.”
“The New York City Labor Movement stands in strong solidarity with NYSNA’s more than 20,000 nurses, who care for our communities with skill, compassion, and an unwavering commitment to patient health," said NYC Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Janella T. Hinds. "Hospitals must invest in the staff and services New Yorkers rely on, because working people need a working healthcare system. Just as we did three years ago, the NYC CLC and our affiliates stand ready to support our city’s nurses as they fight for the staffing, compensation, and resources they need to keep caring for all of us.”
Three years ago, NYSNA New York City nurses were prepared to strike for safe staffing and better patient care, and two hospitals went on strike in January 2023. Nurses now are just as committed to defending the gains we have made, protecting the staff and services our patients need, and ensuring that hospitals put patients over profits.
NYSNA is also launching a new advertising campaign and website. Visit https://www.nursescareforny.org/ to learn more.
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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.