Nurses at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside, N.Y., have voted to join the New York State Nurses Association, according to hospital and union statements.
The vote covers about 800 nurses at South Nassau.
"The South Nassau nurses worked for too long without a voice, without adequate compensation, and without a seat at the table to improve care and uplift standards at the hospital," NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, BSN, said in a union news release shared with Becker's. "When nurses are in unions, we find standards rise and quality care increases. The nurses at South Nassau have banded together to make their lives and their patients' lives better in the long run. We welcome them to the NYSNA family."
South Nassau nurses voted to unionize after the National Labor Relations Board scheduled a Jan. 12 election.
And, in a separate statement shared with Becker's, South Nassau said it respects this decision.
"Our focus remains on supporting Mount Sinai nurses — and all our employees — in delivering the excellent patient care we are known for and that our community has come to expect from us, ensuring that Mount Sinai South Nassau continues to be one of the best places to work," the statement reads.
"We recognize the tremendous sacrifices Mount Sinai South Nassau nurses have made during the pandemic and the challenges posed by a nationwide nursing shortage. Mount Sinai South Nassau nurses received 17 percent in pay increases and other enhancements during the last 15 months to recognize their experience. Nurses at MSSN also have always played an active role in governance issues, including in helping to find solutions to the nursing shortage and achieving Magnet-level nursing care for our patients. The hospital hired 250 nurses last year. We look forward to continuing to work together to provide the high level of nursing care our patients have come to expect."
The election at South Nassau took place on the heels of a three-day strike by about 7,000 NYSNA members at two New York City hospitals: Mount Sinai Medical Center on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. The strike began Jan. 9 and ended Jan. 12.