New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health and the New York Professional Nurses Union have agreed on terms of a $50 million contract expansion affecting about 1,500 nurses, according to a Nov. 4 union news release.
The three-year agreement covers nurses in Northwell Health institutions across New York City, including Lenox Hill Hospital, Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital and Lenox Hill Greenwich Village. According to the union and Northwell, the contract expansion includes:
- More staff on units
- More nurse-patient ratio requirements
- Adding Juneteenth as a paid holiday
- Increases in incentive pay to work extra shifts
- 3 percent annual pay increases in each contract year (with delay in the first year)
"The scope of this contract cannot be understated," Eileen Toback, union executive director, said in a union news release. "We are so grateful to all of our members who show up to work every day and make time to actively participate in this union, especially during a pandemic. We want to thank our counterparts at Northwell Health for working with us to do what's right for New York nurses. After shouldering nearly two years of the harrowing COVID-19 virus, it's clear Northwell agrees that nurses deserve a more humane, less stressful work environment after tirelessly caring for our loved ones and communities in a global crisis."
Lenox Hill Hospital CNO Launette Woolforde, EdD, DNP, also praised the agreement.
"We are thrilled to have come to an agreement that provides our exceptional nurses with competitive salary increases and benefit enhancements that promote their health and wellness. Our agreement affirms the ongoing commitment of Lenox Hill and Northwell Health in ensuring that our patients continue to receive safe, high-quality care," she said in a statement shared with Becker's."We value our partnership with the New York Professional Nurses Union and appreciate their commitment to our front-line nurses."
Northwell Health is New York's largest healthcare provider, with 23 hospitals and about 77,000 employees.
This article was updated on Nov. 8.