NEW YORK, NY — NYC has reached an agreement with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), which represents more than 8,500 nurses across the NYC Health + Hospitals system (H+H) and City Agencies.
“Nurses are vital to the health and well-being of our city,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “With our agreement with the New York State Nurses Association, we’re paying a fair wage and addressing longstanding issues of recruitment and retention to ensure these nurses have the support they need to continue to provide excellent care to all New Yorkers.”
The agreement includes compounded wage increases of 2.00%, 2.25%, 0.25%, and 3.00% over nearly 45 months, is retroactive to June 6, 2019, and expires on March 2, 2023.
“Throughout this negotiation, Mayor de Blasio and his representatives in the contract negotiation demonstrated a fundamental commitment to the people of New York City. They listened intently to the nurses and others speak about conditions in the public hospitals and the contract reflects what they heard and learned. We thank the Mayor for the respect he showed us and for a contract that supports nurses and patients and the many communities we serve. The respect is very much mutual,” said Jill Furillo, RN, NYSNA Executive Director.
In addition to the financial package, the City has agreed to collaboratively address nurse-to-patient staffing ratios with NYSNA. Also, NYSNA will have the right to opt into the NYS Paid Family Leave Program during the terms of the contract. To address recruitment and retention issues, H+H and NYSNA have agreed to changes in certain salaries and differentials for specific subsets of the bargaining unit.
“This is a great win for the nurses of NYC H+H and Mayorals, and the patients we care for. With this contract and its many important provisions, including nurse-to-patient ratios, we can raise the level of patient care. That’s the real winner. Thanks to my fellow NYSNA nurses for their extraordinarily hard work and devotion to the people of New York City. We greatly appreciate NYC H+H President and CEO Dr. Mitchell Katz for his dedication to the public’s health. We are so proud to be a part of a system that stands for healthcare as a human right,” said Judith Cutchin, RN, NYSNA Board Member, and President, NYSNA’s NYC H+H/Mayoral Executive Council.
The total cost of the NYSNA settlement through the Fiscal Year 2023 is $336 million, which is covered by existing resources.
