Members of the New York State Nurses Association have reached a new contract with NYC Health + Hospitals/mayoral agencies and the city of New York.
The five-and-a-half-year contract covers about 8,000 NYSNA nurses at NYC Health + Hospitals facilities and mayoral agencies, according to a union news release. NYC Health + Hospitals is the nation's largest public health system. Mayoral nurses care for first responders such as police and firefighters and provide direct care health services to those receiving assistance from city agencies.
Union members had been in negotiations for a new contract since Feb. 14, according to the release. Their contract expired March 2.
Under the new contract, which the NYSNA called "historic," union members will receive two years of pay parity wage increases: $16,006 in year one and $5,551 in year two, the NYSNA said.
According to the union, the contract also includes:
- Salary increases that when combined with parity award total an increase of at least 37 percent over the life of the contract.
- Staffing ratios that will be expanded into nurse settings beyond hospitals.
- A new staffing subcommittee and an expanded pool of mediators to hear and resolve staffing disputes.
- A new systemwide float pool.
Alizia McMyers, MSN, RN, vice president of the NYSNA's NYC H+H/Mayorals Executive Council, said in the release: "Pay parity has been a goal of H+H nurses for as long as I have been a member, and I am so excited that this contract finally delivers it for our hard-working members. We said from the beginning that parity was essential to improve safe staffing and quality care for our patients, and soon that will be a reality."
Becker's has reached out to NYC Health + Hospitals and will update this story if comment is received.