Huntington Hospital Nurses To Picket For 'Safe Staffing,' 'Fair Contract'

HUNTINGTON, NY — Nurses at Northwell Health/Huntington Hospital plan to picket in advocation for "safe staffing and their fight for a fair contract" at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Bethel A.M.E. Church, located at 291 Park Ave., Huntington, the New York State Nurses Association announced.

The nurses, who officially joined the New York State Nurses Association in November, say they have been negotiating with Northwell Health management for a "fair contract with safe staffing standards, a plan to retain experienced nurses, and respectful wages and benefits" for months, according to a news release.

The nurses say the hospital "stalled" to meet nurses’ demands and failed to meet the March 31 deadline the nurses "made clear" when they first started negotiations.

"NYSNA nurses are speaking out and demanding respect for patients, nurses, and the community," the association wrote.

Huntington Hospital stated it "respects" the rights of its team members to conduct informational picketing.

"This is not a strike, and we want to assure our patients and the community that normal hospital operations will continue, providing uninterrupted, superior care, which remains our top priority," a hospital spokesperson told Patch. "Our team members were recently represented by a different union, and we are currently negotiating a new contract with NYSNA (New York State Nurses Association). We are committed to engaging in constructive, good-faith negotiations with NYSNA to reach a fair contract that supports and upholds the high-quality care our patients deserve."