There is no longer a strike on the horizon for over 900 nurses at Northwell Health’s South Shore University Medical Center.
The nurses, unionized under the New York State Nurses Association overwhelmingly ratified a tentative agreement on March 14, according to the union
The union reached the tentative agreement with Northwell after months of bargaining on Tuesday, March 11.
The tentative agreement averted a strike that was set to start on March 17 if an agreement had not been reached between the two parties by then.
Over 99% of the nurses had voted to authorize a strike, primarily due to an unfair labor practice filing the union made against Northwell and tensions over ensuring the contract would prevent understaffing by meeting state guidelines for patient-nurse ratios, the union said.
“We advocated for safer staffing levels, improved working conditions and fair wages to ensure that we can continue to deliver the high standard of care our patients deserve,” JoAnne DeAntonio, the local union president, said. “After months of fighting, we achieved what we set out to win. We’re glad that our voices were heard because we are not just fighting for ourselves; we are fighting for our patients, for our families, and for the future of healthcare in our region.”
The agreement includes $18,000 to $20,000 wage increases over the life of the three-year contract, including annual pay increases, staffing improvements, experience pay improvements for pensions, and improvements to retiree healthcare, the union said in a Wednesday statement.
Joseph Kemp, assistant vice president of public relations for Northwell, said Northwell was pleased to have reached a fair tentative agreement that allows both parties to move forward and continue providing care to patients.
“From the start of negotiations, our goal has been to reach a fair contract that supports our valued nurses and upholds the high standard of care our patients and community trust,” Kemp said in a statement. This agreement reaffirms our commitment, enabling a supportive work environment and provides our nurses with competitive compensation and benefits.”
The union added that the agreement would increase staffing in the emergency and labor and delivery departments, improve staffing enforcement, guarantee break periods, and allow nurses to review and make recommendations regarding the implementation of any artificial intelligence that could potentially impact them.
Currently, other New York State Nurses Association unionized nurses are in active bargaining at Northwell Health’s Huntington Hospital and Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital.
