Victory: Nurses at Catholic Health/St. Charles Hospital Reach Tentative Contract Agreement
For immediate release: July 9, 2026
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
Joe Celestin | press@nysna.org | 518-776-8337
VICTORY: NURSES AT CATHOLIC HEALTH/ ST. CHARLES HOSPITAL REACH TENTATIVE CONTRACT AGREEMENT
Long Island Strike Averted After Late Night Bargaining Session
NYSNA Nurses to Vote to Ratify Contract on Friday
Port Jefferson, N.Y. – New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses reached a tentative contract agreement late last night, averting a strike that was set to begin on Monday, July 13. Nurses will vote on whether to ratify the contract on Friday, July 10.
Highlights of the three-year tentative agreement include:
- Improved enforceable safe staffing standards, including hiring more nurses, creating a float pool of nurses to maintain safe staffing levels, and a new expedited staffing enforcement process.
- New workplace violence protections, including enhanced security rounding and personal panic buttons.
- New protections against discipline for use of sick time.
- New safeguards on artificial intelligence, including provisions to protect RN clinical judgement and requirements to provide notice and discussion when implementing new technology or AI.
- Annual base wage increases of 4%, 3% and 4% over the three-year contract.
- Additional wage increases to help recruit, train and retain experienced nurses.
- Increases to retiree health benefits.
More details on the tentative agreement will follow ratification.
Nurses at Catholic Health/ St. Charles negotiated for months, with talks intensifying over safe staffing. On June 12, St. Charles nurses announced that a near-unanimous 99.7% of nurses voted to authorize a strike. On June 30, they delivered a strike notice, notifying the hospital they would strike beginning July 13 if they were not able to reach a fair contract agreement.
President of NYSNA’s local bargaining unit at St. Charles Hospital and intensive care nurse Rob Barone, RN, said: “NYSNA nurses at St. Charles fought tooth and nail for a fair contract that will help us fix the staffing crisis at the hospital we love. We are proud of what we accomplished and encourage our members to ratify this contract. We are looking forward to improving accountability for safe staffing, so we can deliver the best possible care to our friends, families and community. As we move forward with our transition with Good Samaritan University Hospital, St. Charles nurses’ goal is to ensure a strong future for this hospital based on quality care with enough nurses—and this contract will do just that.”
Approximately 1,000 Catholic Health nurses at three hospitals on Long Island have been in contract talks. The contract for NYSNA nurses at St. Joseph Hospital in Bethpage expired on March 31, and the contract for NYSNA nurses at St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown is set to expire July 31. Negotiations are ongoing at those two hospitals. NYSNA nurses are united in demanding contracts that deliver safe staffing, protections from workplace violence, and fair wages.
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The New York State Nurses Association represents approximately 45,000 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.