NURSES STRIKE: Hospital management returns weak counterproposals; walkout continues

"The historic nurses strike continued into Day 23 on Tuesday, after the union says hospital management's counterproposals failed to meet their contract demands during a bargaining session on Feb. 2. The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) said it received revised proposals from hospital management at the Javits Center on Tuesday, but none of them addressed safe staffing concerns, a key sticking point in the ongoing standoff involving nearly 15,000 striking nurses."

"The union singled out NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the three affected private hospital systems, for having safe staffing enforcement provisions that are weaker than those at other NYSNA hospitals in New York City. NewYork-Presbyterian, one of the richest hospitals in New York City and state, did not even make counter-proposals on workplace violence and other contract issues, a NYSNA press release stated."

"Although nurses significantly revised and moderated our proposals to expedite bargaining, the hospitals returned proposals that were inadequate and failed to offer a clear path to return nurses to work. NewYork-Presbyterian denied the claims that it did not make counterproposals. We did deliver a comprehensive proposal through the mediators yesterday [Feb. 2] that covers both economic and non-economic terms, which includes safe staffing and workplace violence, a hospital spokesperson said. We are waiting for NYSNA leadership to respond to our proposal."

Nearly 15,000 nurses remained on strike into Day 23 following a Feb. 2 bargaining session at the Javits Center. Revised management proposals failed to address safe staffing, the central demand, and negotiations made no clear progress toward returning nurses to work. NewYork-Presbyterian had safe-staffing enforcement provisions weaker than those at other NYSNA hospitals and did not submit counter-proposals on workplace violence and other contract issues. A comprehensive proposal was delivered through mediators covering economic and non-economic terms, including safe staffing and workplace violence, with a response from NYSNA leadership pending. Nurses moderated wage demands during bargaining.

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