To the Editor:
On Tuesday, August 16, three hospitals in the Utica, Watertown and Capital region were served with strike notices from the New York State Nurses Association. NYSNA’s notices indicate that strikes will occur at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica and Samaritan Medical Center in Watertown on September 1 and at Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville on September 1 and 2.
The people of these communities should feel confident that quality health care services, including emergency care, will continue despite this disruption by NYSNA. The people in Utica, Gloversville and Watertown should also be aware that the NYSNA nurses’ call to strike is not related to salary or benefits, as is the case in the majority of these situations. The Iroquois Healthcare Alliance collects salary and benefits data on Upstate hospitals and it is clear that nurse salary and benefits packages offered by St. Elizabeth, Nathan Littauer and Samaritan are very competitive when compared to other Upstate hospitals.
The matter of contention fueling these contract impasses seems to be NYSNA’s insistence on including mandated nurse-to-patient staffing levels in their newly negotiated contracts. For the last thirteen years, NYSNA has attempted to persuade the state Legislature to pass a law that would mandate nurse-to-patient ratios in all hospitals and nursing homes in New York State. For the last thirteen years, NYSNA’s proposal has failed to pass both houses. Now, NYSNA is attempting to force these staffing mandates by including them in their new contracts.
It is estimated to cost the 54 hospitals that comprise IHA an additional $178M if NYSNA’s staffing legislation were implemented. That is, assuming individual hospitals could recruit and retain the number of new nurses required.
Earlier this year, the largest hospitals in New York City negotiated a new contract with NYSNA. NYSNA attempted to include mandatory staffing ratios in their contracts but this demand was rejected by the hospitals.
The health care delivery system is experiencing major transition here in New York State and throughout the nation. A clear and growing trend is emerging with less emphasis on inpatient hospital care and an increasing focus on community based care. NYSNA clearly sees this trend as a threat to their union membership. NYSNA is an organization with a budget of $36.6M and needs to maintain and grow their membership in order to sustain their organization. Mandating staffing levels in hospitals and nursing homes would certainly help NYSNA’s membership issues.
Many regions across Upstate New York are experiencing healthcare workforce shortages, from physicians to home health workers. These shortages are projected to worsen. IHA is currently working with other healthcare organizations to address these shortages and would welcome NYSNA’s assistance.
Sincerely,
Gary J. Fitzgerald, President, Iroquois Healthcare Alliance