SCHENECTADY — A potential nurses’ strike at Ellis Medicine may have been averted as a preliminary multi-year contract was agreed upon with the New York State Nurses Association on Monday. This development comes after over a year of intense negotiations and a strike authorization vote by the union members last month.
Paul Milton, president and CEO of Ellis Medicine, announced the agreement, which was the result of a “marathon” negotiation session last week. He expressed confidence that the contract would be beneficial for both the nurses and the wider organization.
“Our heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who contributed to this process with their unwavering dedication and commitment. This contract is a testament to the power of collaboration and will benefit our nurses, the organization as a whole, and most importantly, our patients and community,” said Milton in a statement.
The proposed agreement includes a 13.25% wage increase for all nurses, bonuses for extra shifts, and new recruitment incentives. It also ensures the maintenance of current staffing levels, as per NYSNA.
This agreement could prevent a potential three-day unfair labor practice strike that was approved by 94% of the over 600 nurses at Ellis Hospital and the Bellevue Women’s Center. The strike was a response to over a year of contract negotiations that revolved around unsafe working conditions and allegations of intimidation by hospital administration.
Union members across both facilities will vote on the four-year deal this week, with the results expected to be announced on Thursday.
“This contract victory is a result of our relentless fight for safe staffing for Schenectady patients. We are immensely proud of our perseverance and the significant win for both nurses and patients,” said Patty Donahue, a registered nurse and president of NYSNA’s Local Bargaining unit at Ellis Hospital.
Ellis nurses have been without a contract since February 2023 and have consistently voiced concerns about unsafe staffing levels, which they believe have led to decreased morale and increased turnover, raising concerns about patient safety.
The union has repeatedly criticized the hospital administration for failing to reach a fair deal while spending millions on hiring external nursing agencies to fill staffing gaps. In 2022 alone, Ellis Medicine spent over $8.5 million on external services.
Recent analysis of staffing data from six hospital units between February and November 2023 by NYSNA researchers revealed that both day and night shifts were understaffed over 90% of the time.
As Ellis continues to consider a possible merger with St. Peter’s Health Partners in Albany due to financial difficulties, concerns about a decrease in services have been a focal point for nurses on the picket line. Since 2021, Ellis has been operating under a management service agreement that puts SPHP in charge of certain services at the hospital.
Ellis leaders have refuted some claims, stating that staffing issues are a nationwide problem and that turnover has been reduced by 40% since 2021.
However, the union has seen some victories in recent months, including gaining support from local elected officials and a ruling from a third-party arbitrator who sided with Ellis nurses in an unfair labor practices claim against the hospital for not adhering to contracted staffing requirements and intimidating and surveilling nurses for speaking out about working conditions.
“Our primary concern has always been to ensure safe, quality care for our patients. We believe that the agreement we have reached with management will help us achieve this goal by offering fair compensation and new incentives to attract and retain experienced nurses,” said Dawn Zipp, president of the Bellevue Women’s Center local bargaining unit.
Agree – Great news for nurses, they deserve fair treatment and compensation.
Great news for nurses, they work so hard and deserve fair treatment. #Agree
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