Members of the New York State Nurses Association have reached tentative agreements now at three hospitals in New York City to avert strikes there. Meanwhile, five other hospitals are preparing for an open-ended walkout slated to begin Jan. 9 unless contracts are reached.
The union delivered 10-day notices Dec. 30 at New York City hospitals, including NewYork-Presbyterian, Montefiore, Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside and West, Maimonides Medical Center, BronxCare, Richmond University Medical Center and Flushing Hospital Medical Center. However, about 4,000 nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital reached a tentative agreement Dec. 31, averting a strike there, according to a Jan. 1 union news release. On Jan. 5, the union announced that its members at Maimonides and Richmond University medical centers have also reached tentative contracts.
"We are pleased to reach a tentative agreement that recognizes the essential contributions of our indispensable nursing staff," Maimonides Health CEO Ken Gibbs and NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, BSN, RN, said in a joint statement. "We believe this agreement is fair and respects the needs of all parties while also helping us better serve our patients. We look forward to continuing our productive relationship so we can meet the needs of our patients, community and staff here at Maimonides."
Union members said the tentative agreement at Maimonides, which covers about 1,300 nurses, ensures a near-universal ratio-based staffing plan across the hospital; adds nursing positions; improves the staffing enforcement and dispute resolution process; increases nurse wages by 19.10 percent compounded over the life of the agreement; and preserves health benefits with no increased cost to nurses. The tentative deal is still subject to ratification.
NYSNA expects to provide more details about the tentative agreement at Richmond University Medical Center Jan. 5. In a statement provided to Becker's, a Richmond spokesperson said, "This agreement is a solid investment for our hospital and recognizes our exceptional team of nursing professionals who are the cornerstone of our institution as evidenced by their great work caring for our community day in and day out. It also [ensures] that our patients continue to have uninterrupted access to Richmond University Medical Center's high quality healthcare services and state-of-the-art facilities."
Meanwhile, negotiations continue at other New York City hospitals. During negotiations, nurses have expressed their concerns about staffing levels and contend that hospitals are not doing enough to keep workers at the bedside in terms of things like staffing, pay and benefits.
In a statement shared with Becker's Jan. 4, Joe Solmonese, senior vice president at Montefiore, called on union leadership there to accept Montifore's "generous offer that includes an 18 percent wage increase, fully funded healthcare for life, and a significant increase in registered nurses in the emergency departments, among other benefits."
He added that the "equitable offer mirrors the tentative agreement NYSNA union leadership reached with NewYork-Presbyterian."
As part of a response issued Jan. 5, the union said Montefiore nurses "have been forced to work without enough staff, stretched to our breaking point" and called on the health system "to come to the table with concrete proposals to address the understaffing crisis, including safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios."
Hospitals are also preparing in the event of a strike. Hospital sources told NBC New York that means potentially beginning to cancel at least some elective procedures.
Mount Sinai hospital leaders issued a memo to workers Jan. 4, saying it will begin diverting a majority of ambulances away from Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai Beth Israel. The memo also states that the system will cancel some elective surgeries at Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai Morningside, and is "working to safely discharge as many patients as appropriate."
"We continue to negotiate in good faith to reach a fair and responsible agreement with NYSNA and we remain confident a final agreement can swiftly be reached," hospital leaders said. "We have already reached tentative agreements on many critically important matters, including health insurance coverage, pensions, pandemic preparedness, paid holidays, on-the-job career advancement, and weekend-shift scheduling. It is imperative that we finalize an agreement soon."
BronxCare said it values and appreciates its nurses.
"We continue to negotiate in good faith. We are confident that an agreement will be reached," the system said.
A Flushing spokesperson told Becker's the hospital is not commenting on active negotiations.