Mount Sinai Tries to Silence Nurse Safety Advocates
**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR TODAY, DEC. 4 AT 6:30 P.M**
Contact: Andrea Penman-Lomeli | press@nysna.org | 347-559-3169
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
MOUNT SINAI TRIES TO SILENCE NURSE SAFETY ADVOCATES
Three Weeks After Active Shooter Incident, NYSNA Nurses Demand Hospital Take Action to Protect Nurses, Not Retaliate Against Them
NYSNA Nurses Who Spoke to the Media About the Need for Improved Safety Were Unfairly Disciplined. Nurses and Allies Demand Sinai Stop Union-Busting
New York, N.Y. - On Thursday, Dec. 4, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses at Mount Sinai will gather outside of the hospital to demand that management improve safety and stop retaliating against outspoken advocates for nurse and patient safety. The event will mark three weeks since an active shooter attempted to shoot up the hospital and nurses began speaking out more publicly about their safety and workplace violence concerns.
Instead of listening to nurses and adopting their recommendations, including weapons detection systems at every hospital entrance, Mount Sinai management targeted and unfairly disciplined the most outspoken nurses. Nurses and allies will gather at the hospital to demand the protections that nurses, patients, visitors and community deserve and to send Mount Sinai the message that NYSNA nurses refuse to be intimidated and silenced.
WHAT: Mount Sinai Nurses Speak-out for Safety
WHO: Dozens of NYSNA nurses and elected and community allies
WHEN: Dec. 4 at 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Mount Sinai Hospital, 1468 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029 (near 100th St. intersection)
Over the last few months, NYSNA nurses have demanded a fair contract that addresses workplace violence and health and safety issues. Since the active shooter incident on Nov. 13, administrators have ignored nurses’ calls for functional weapons detection systems at every hospital entrance and for an immediate increase in security at the hospital. Nurses demand that management take swift action to address the proposals concerning nurse safety and workplace violence.
Gueldye Beaubrun, RN, a Mount Sinai emergency department nurse for more than 20 years, said: “When we spoke up for safety in the media, the hospital retaliated against us and unfairly disciplined us. The hospital wants to silence nurses on safety, but we will never be silent when the safety of our patients and colleagues is at risk. We will continue to push for concrete and immediate safety improvements and will not let Mount Sinai’s scare tactics stop us from advocating for our community.”
Sophie Damas, RN, a local union leader at Mount Sinai, said: “Mount Sinai’s unionbusting is disgusting, and the community should be concerned. It is nurses' responsibility to speak up about our safety and the safety of our patients, and the hospital needs to listen, not discipline the nurses who are vocal advocates. We raised safety concerns at the bargaining table, but Sinai has dragged its feet on our proposals, even after this tragic shooting, which should have been a wake-up call to the administration. We will continue to organize and fight for a fair contract that protects patient care.”
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said: “NYSNA nurses will not be intimidated and will continue to speak out, because we don’t compromise on safety. When Mount Sinai attacks a handful of nurses, it attacks all 42,000 NYSNA nurses. Our members are united to protect our patients and our union rights wherever they are attacked. We demand Mount Sinai reverse course and remove the unjust disciplines from our members’ records. These are members who weeks ago literally put themselves in the line of fire to protect their patients, and it is shameful that Mount Sinai would treat them this way.”
Mount Sinai is one of 12 New York City hospitals where NYSNA nurses are bargaining for fair contracts with an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2025.
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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.