preparing for Resurgence, Fighting layoffs

from NYSNA 2020 Annual Report

by New York State Nurses Association

Democracy in Action: NYSNA’s First Virtual Convention

As summer approached, the CoVID surge was subsiding—but far from over. While continuing to care for CoVID patients, NYSNA members were also battling on several other fronts—against layoffs in less-impacted regions of the state, keeping hospitals—and essential health services like mental healthcare and maternal and child health—open for care, and preparing for a CoVID resurgence by demanding that hospitals, public health officials, and local authorities reopen with care.

In May we celebrated a Nurses Week like no other, with NYSNA members across the state taking action. We also released NYSNA’s reopening plan, spelling out how New York could responsibly reopen the economy, and highlighting what nurses still needed to battle the pandemic. We launched the Nurses Week release of our reopening platform with a rally at Brooklyn Hospital, followed by a rally of NYC H+H nurses outside of Rikers Island, demanding New York center its recovery efforts on the hardest-hit communities.

We also spent the spring and summer fighting against layoffs—and we won! At St. elizabeth Medical Center nurses spoke out against Mohawk Valley Health System’s plans to cut staff. After a hard fight, we prevented furloughs, preserved our contractual rights, and brought back laid-off nurses.

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At Champlain Valley physician’s Hospital, when the hospital threatened layoffs, CoVID heroes fought back and came up with innovative solutions to save jobs. And at Albany Medical Center, NYSNA members called out the hospital’s shortterm plans to save money and cut staff, pointing to the millions of dollars in CAReS Act funding the hospital received. Albany Med members also fought back against the hospital’s shell game with pto, filed a grievance and winning back more than 11,000 hours of benefit time for over 600 nurses.

And when the Brooklyn Hospital Center announced plans to lay off 44 nurses, member swung into action and prepared to launch a public campaign. In less than 72 hours, management rescinded layoff notices and agreed to work with the union to fill several vacant positions.