Standard Labor Education Trainings

NYSNA offers various standard Labor Education trainings, where you can learn about our union and how to organize. All trainings are interactive practice based.

Welcome to Your Union: All New Members and Convention Delegates (90 mins.)

This workshop is open to new NYSNA members and Convention Delegates looking to get more involved in the work of the union. It will cover somebasic concepts of what a union is and what roles we have as rank-and-file members. We will also offer an overview of NYSNA, its structures and bodies, and some general information about our health care and political system that affect our jobs and patient care.

Learn How to Mobilize Members for Union Events and Actions (90 mins.)

As we get more involved in the work of the union, we realize the importance of building power by engaging our coworkers. Join us to learn about ways to spread the word about union actions, have effective conversations, and develop good listening skills. With these skills you and your coworkers will be able to mobilize members, and the community, so that the boss has no choice but to listen.

Staffing Enforcement: Collecting Protests of Assignments (90 mins.)

Protests of Assignment (POAs) are an important organizing tool in the fight to win safe staffing. POA forms are used to track patterns and provide a record that will help nurses build their case and organize action plans for better staffing on their unit, at labor-management meetings, staffing committees and during contract negotiations, among others. Join us for a session to go over the details of filling out a form, engaging more members to do the same in a coordinated POA campaign.

Know Your Rights: Organizing, Representation and Contract Enforcement (90 mins.)

One of the basic rights workers have is organizing and engaging in union activity without fear of retaliation. Further, workers have the right to request representation for most meetings with management – called Weingarten Rights. To learn the full scope of our rights and how to understand and read your contract to ensure we are protected, confident and our rights are being enforced, join us for this session and bring a co-worker.

Taking Control of our Meetings with Management (90 mins.)

Learning how to take and keep control of a meeting with management is the best way to ensure its success! Learn how to prepare, present the union’s position to management and make sure there is meaningful follow through. In addition to learning how to plan for the meeting and getting some tips for ensuring it goes well, members will get the chance to practice!

New Officer and New Convention Delegate Leadership Training (90 mins.)

Join as a newly elected LBU Executive Committee or new Convention Delegate (or attend as a refresher!) and we will go over various items (as requested) such as:

• What does it mean to build power and be a leader
• The role of Convention Delegate in-between conventions
• How officers and leaders can work together, and engage their members
• Understanding your role
• Meeting facilitation
• Planning for meetings with management
• Understanding your bylaws and your contract

We can add any other items that are most relevant to your facility. For example, are you about to go into contract negotiations? Let’s review the building blocks of a successful contract campaign.

Winning an Issue on Your Unit through a Campaign of Escalation Actions (90 mins.)

This workshop will zero in on how we can use some of the same organizing strategies we use in our biggest fights -- contract campaigns or fights against closures – to make tangible, positive changes in day-to-day working conditions on our own units. We'll address:

• How can we back up contract enforcement with collective action to safeguard our gains?
• How do we still effectively address issues when we can’t file a grievance?
• What makes a good organizing issue?
• How do we crank up the pressure on management while building unity and confidence among our co-workers?

After discussion, we'll practice making organizing plans to address some of our most common problems, from understaffing, to lack of supplies, to unfair treatment by management.

Identifying How Artificial Intelligence is Being Used in Your Hospital 

What is Artificial Intelligence and how does it work? This workshop will demystify AI and explore the serious implications and outcomes of AI technology in healthcare, for healthcare workers and patients alike. You will be able to identify where AI is already being used in your facility and discuss ways nurses can ensure that AI is introduced—if appropriate—with nurse input and control (or not used at all).