Nurses at a Long Island hospital sent notice to their bosses on Tuesday that they plan to walk off the job on Feb. 27 if their demands for more robust staffing and higher pay are not met.
The move comes as tensions escalate over contract negotiations at South Shore University Hospital, which is operated by Northwell Health. About 800 nurses at the 300-bed facility could walk off the job. They first voted to authorize a potential strike earlier this month.
"Nurses were called frontline heroes for our work [during the pandemic], and we’ve continued to work nonstop to deliver the quality care our community needs,” Chrysse Blau, the local bargaining unit president for the New York State Nurses Association at South Shore, said in a statement. “Northwell needs to come to the table and deliver a fair contract that guarantees the safe staffing levels and the respect nurses deserve, so we can deliver the care our community deserves."
Nurses at South Shore previously told Gothamist they were inspired by recent strikes at Montefiore Medical Center and Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Like those nurses, they are fighting for pay raises of 18% over three years and a commitment from Northwell to maintain enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios on each unit.
Northwell’s latest proposal offers a lower salary bump of 13% over three years, plus a one-time $1,000 bonus.
South Shore leadership commented on its preparations for a potential strike in an email to nurses Tuesday.
“While it is unfortunate that NYSNA has not responded to our last proposals and decided to strike instead, the hospital has contracted with a staffing agency to provide for temporary replacement workers to care for our patients while you are striking,” the email said.
It also noted that nurses will not receive health benefits while on strike.
In a statement, Barbara Osborn, a spokesperson for Northwell, added that the hospital “will be fully operational” and continue to provide patient care.
NYSNA said in a statement that the hospital should have enough time to prepare for the strike, but added, “the best way for management to protect patients is to listen to nurses and settle fair contracts that protect patient care in the next 13 days.”
The next negotiating session is scheduled to take place on Feb. 16, but South Shore leaders said in the email to nurses on Tuesday that they are willing to meet before then “to continue negotiating to avoid a strike situation.”
