Northwell Peconic Bay Nurses Reach Tentative Agreement: NYSNA

RIVERHEAD, NY — New York State Nurses Association nurses and healthcare professionals at Peconic Bay Medical Center/Northwell Health reached a tentative contract agreement Thursday after a "marathon" bargaining session that began on Wednesday, NYSNA said.

Members will now vote on whether to ratify the contract on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

About 700 New York State Nurses Association nurses at Northwell Health/ Long Island Jewish Valley Stream and Peconic Bay Medical Center had been planning to strike on Feb. 21; nurses have been at the bargaining table for months demanding safe staffing and fair wages that will help recruit and retain nurses, NYSNA said.

The tentative agreement, NYSNA said, includes improvements to safe staffing standards, stronger and expedited safe staffing enforcement, protection of NYSNA health and pension benefits, and major wage increases.

More details about the agreement will be released pending ratification, NYSNA said.

Nurses at Long Island Jewish (LIJ)/Valley Stream/Northwell were also at the bargaining table yesterday but were unable to reach a tentative agreement, NYSNA said.

With a strike deadline of Feb. 21 "looming", NYSNA said nurses are calling on Northwell to settle a fair contract that respects nurses and the Valley Stream community. Although Northwell negotiators agreed to substantial wage increases at Peconic, they rejected fair wage increases at Valley Stream, saying the workers and community were "characteristically different," NYSNA said.

They also refused to improve safe staffing standards — which are now lower and less safe than the standards at Peconic Bay and other Northwell facilities, NYSNA said.

Northwell representatives did not immediately return a request for comment.

Chris Honor, RN, BSN, CAPA, and local president at Peconic Bay and NYSNA Southeastern Regional director, reflected on the news: "Our NYSNA negotiating committee worked hard on this tentative agreement and are proud of the safe staffing improvements and the fact that it will take us from some of the lowest paid healthcare workers on Long Island to being competitive with other hospitals. That will help us hire and retain enough nurses to provide quality care — our No. 1 goal as nurses and healthcare professionals. We are 100 percent in solidarity with our union siblings at LIJ Valley Stream, who deserve respect and a fair contract, too. Northwell should invest in quality care in every hospital and every community they serve."

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, added: "Congratulations to our members at Peconic Bay, who fought hard for the safe staffing and fair wages they deserve. Now it’s time for Northwell to come to the table and deliver a fair contract for our Nassau County nurses and patients. Nurses and patients everywhere deserve safe staffing and fair wages to ensure quality car e— regardless of zip code, regardless of race, income, immigration status, or any other characteristic. Shame on Northwell for stating anything different. NYSNA is ready to bargain at any time."

Sandra Armstrong, RN, a veteran nurse leader at LIJ Valley Stream, also spoke out: "We know exactly what they mean when Northwell administrators use that kind of language because we have heard it before. They used to say 'demographics,' and now they are saying 'characteristically different.' Our nursing community and the patients we serve are very diverse. We have more people of color working at LIJ Valley Stream than in other Northwell hospitals, and the community we serve has more people of color and low-income patients. So that’s why Northwell won’t deliver safe staffing and fair pay here? I think it’s despicable that they would disrespect and discriminate in this way."

According to NYSNA, Northwell also "threatened to lock union nurses out" if they chose to strike on Feb. 21.

According to Barbara Osborn VP of Public Relations for Northwell Health: "Peconic Bay Medical Center is pleased to have reached a tentative agreement with NYSNA. From the start of negotiations, our sole focus remained ensuring that our patients continue to receive world-class care and our dedicated nurses and allied health professionals can continue to serve in the best environment to provide that care. The agreement provides competitive compensation and benefits and reaffirms our commitment to our team members and delivering safe, high-quality care."

She added: "We are offended at NYSNA's comments that negotiations are somehow impacted at LIJ Valley Stream because the community is more diverse. NYSNA's misrepresentation of what happened at the negotiations table to achieve a contract is reprehensible. The comments in NYSNA's press release are preposterous and factually inaccurate. The statement was elaborated upon, and the context explained at the negotiations table. The words 'characteristically different' were never said and we never threatened to lock out the RNs."

And, Osborn added: "We are disappointed we have yet to be able to reach a tentative agreement with NYSNA at LIJ Valley Stream Hospital but as always, our goal is to reach a fair contract. We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached and will continue to bargain in good faith. A strong commitment to our patients and team members remains our highest priority."

NYSNA said they are filing unfair labor practice charges about this "potentially unlawful" threat, meant to "intimidate and silence our members."