National Nurses United

14 N A T I O N A L N U R S E W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y | M A R C H 2 0 2 4 NEWS BRIEFS NEW YORK M ontefiore health system is the largest health care system in the Bronx, with near monopoly power. To increase its profits, Montefiore has been rapidly expanding north of New York City into the Lower Hud- son Valley in recent years, buying up community hospitals and consolidating its market share. New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses at Lower Hudson Valley Montefiore hospitals responded to this con- solidation with their own organizing and power-building strategies to ensure Monte- fiore puts patients over profits. Members at all three hospitals lined up their contract expiration dates and began working together on a shared bargaining platform and a shared strategy to win fair contracts, with their eyes on a Dec. 31, 2023, expira- tion date. Although nurses at the three hospitals had different contracts and some different challenges, they were united in their calls for safe staffing and fair wages. Uniting as "One Monte," they launched their contract cam- paign with a rally at Montefiore Mount Vernon Hospital in November 2023. The rally brought together nurses from the three Lower Hudson Valley hospitals as well as nurses from Montefiore Bronx hospitals and community, labor, and elected allies. Nurses spoke out about the understaffing and retention crisis plaguing all three hospi- tals, exacerbated by low salaries that made it difficult to compete with other hospitals in the region. Nurses at Nyack highlighted the 25 percent vacancy rate that threatened qual- ity patient care, and Mount Vernon nurses spoke about rising workplace violence pro- pelled by understaffing. Nurses demanded that hospital administrators settle fair con- tracts on time—and they reminded them that Montefiore Bronx members had gone on strike less than one year ago. Tracy McCook, RN, a veteran nurse from Montefiore Mount Vernon, said: "We've been dealing with a mental health crisis for years here, but it seems to have escalated since the start of Covid-19. When we don't have enough staff and you have patients coming in suicidal, homicidal, it requires a higher level of care, and we can't meet that demand. This puts the safety of nurses and our patients at risk." As negotiations progressed, the nurses mobilized and built momentum and soli- darity by holding regular meetings and leveraging social media platforms. When the bosses dug their heels in at the bargain- ing table, nearly 800 nurses across the three facilities voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike. NYSNA nurses unite and win new contracts RNs at three Montefiore hospitals organize together

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