Issue link: https://nnumagazine.uberflip.com/i/1540947
NEW YORK O n thursday, aug. 14, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses from 12 private- sector facilities across New York City launched their bargaining platform for their 2025 contract fight. NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN kicked off the bargain- ing conference by reminding nurses of the historic gains they made in their last con- tract campaign and reaffirmed NYSNA's commitment to win respect for nurses and to protect health care access for patients. Nurses then introduced the five-point plat- form that will guide this contract fight: • Quality patient care through enforce- able safe staffing • Defend access to care when our patients' health care services and staff are under attack • Protect nurses so we can continue to care for you • Every patient deserves a real nurse • Fair wages and benefits to recruit and retain nurses The platform captures the top priorities for nurses in this political moment. Safe staffing remains the number-one issue for nurses; however, defending care has also become critical at a time when the federal government has approved disastrous cuts to Medicaid and other social safety net pro- grams. Nurses are also concerned about their health and safety and will fight for contract language that protects them from workplace violence and other hazards. The increasing use of unregulated artificial intelligence (A.I.) and its implementation with little to no input from health care workers is another relevant issue nurses are ready to address in this contract fight. Finally, while employers seem eager to use government cuts to announce reductions to services and layoffs, nurses remain steadfast in their demands for fair wages and benefits because they know those are the key to recruiting new nurses and maintaining experienced nurses at the bedside. Following the platform presentations, New York City Democratic Mayoral Nomi- nee and Queens Assembly Member Zohran Mamdani, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso, and New York City Central Labor Council Secretary-Trea- surer Janella Hinds joined NYSNA members at a rally and press conference in support of their campaign to defend health care and protect New Yorkers. The rally showcased the energy, power, and allyship that nurses are bringing with them as they negotiate fair contracts across the city. Crain's New York Business, Politico, The City, and Fox News 5 covered the press conference. Nurses followed the rally by attending powerful breakout sessions. They learned about the impact of Medicaid cuts in their facilities, how these cuts will disproportion- ately impact safety-net hospitals, and how cuts will lead to higher health care premi- ums for private health insurance holders. They learned about the risks of unregulated A.I. programs and how facilities like Mount Sinai are already using A.I. to screen phone calls and track how long nurses take when administering certain drugs. Nurses also strategized how to win contract language to protect nurses from workplace violence, and new Contract Action Team members attended an Organizing 101 to learn key strategies to build support in their facilities. Nurses also met by region to strategize and develop facility-specific platform points. While the political reality of budget cuts and attacks on health care seems daunting, nurses reminded each other of what they accomplished under the challenging post- Covid-19 conditions of their last contract fight. The energy and engagement in the conference showed that NYSNA nurses are ready to unite, organize, and fight to defend health care, protect their patients, and win fair contracts. As Wyckoff Heights Medical Center LBU President Dalia Branford, RN, said when introducing the Defend Access to Care bar- gaining platform: "NYSNA nurses are not giving up; we're not letting our patients down; and we won't let our health care sys- tem crumble. This contract fight is a fight for every New Yorker who is in danger of seeing their premiums skyrocket or of losing their health care. This contract fight is for every nurse who has been told they're being laid off while their hospital executive gets another million-dollar paycheck. This con- tract fight is about using the power of our union to defend access to health care so all New Yorkers get the care they deserve." —Diana Moreno NYSNA nurses launch 2025 private-sector campaign NEWS BRIEFS 6 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 U LY | A U G U S T | S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 5