Nurses from Richmond University Medical Center and Staten Island University Hospital, both in Staten Island, N.Y., have voted to go on a one-day strike if the hospitals and New York State Nurses Association do not reach an agreement on staffing issues, according to a Staten Island Advance report.
Here are five things to know about the ongoing contract negotiations.
1. Nurses at the hospitals claim they are often short staffed.
2. Multiple negotiating sessions are scheduled for this week.
3. If a deal is not reached this week's sessions, both hospitals will issue a 10-day strike notice, Tara L. Martin, senior communications manager for NYSNA, said in the report.
4. Both hospitals are coming up with contingency plans in case a strike occurs.
5. Hospital representatives remained positive. William Smith, a Richmond University Hospital spokesman, said, "We are continuing to engage in negotiations with NYSNA on a collective bargaining agreement. Staffing is a mutual priority in these negotiations, and we believe that progress has been made to address that issue. We look forward to a settlement that is beneficial to NYSNA's membership and the hospital."
Nurses from NYSNA have also authorized a strike at multiple leading New York City hospitals.
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