New York, NY—For the first time in their union contracts at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, nurses have won enforceable nurse-to-patient staffing ratios with expedited arbitration and potential financial penalties that lessen the financial incentive for hospitals to understaffed.
Nurses won this unprecedented victory after a three-day strike. Both facilities improved upon existing staffing standards in some areas exceeding California nurse-to-patient ratios. Both contracts have stronger, precedent-setting staffing enforcement mechanisms. These documents include expedited arbitration of staffing disputes and a new approach of including potential financial penalties payable to nurses when employers fail to uphold contractual safe staffing standards. NYSNA members at both hospitals voted to ratify their contracts by 98 percent. Voting concluded at Mount Sinai late Wednesday January 18th and at Montefiore on Friday January 20th.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN released the following statement:
“With their historic victory, NYSNA members at Montefiore Bronx and Mount Sinai Hospital sparked a national movement to win wall-to-wall enforceable safe staffing ratios to make sure there are always enough nurses at the bedside of every patient at every hospital across the nation. Although it will take time for nurses and patients to fully implement this victory on the hospital floors, change begins now. The new staffing standards in our contracts must now go to the New York State Department of Health and will become the new staffing standards to be enforced by law, as well. These improved standards won’t just be on paper because nurses won concrete enforcement, including expedited arbitration and enhanced remedies, including potential financial penalties for the hospital if they fail to follow the staffing ratios.”
Only One Brooklyn Health facilities Interfaith Medical Center and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center continue to be at the bargaining table.
