New York-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Nurses Demand Fair Contract

CORTLANDT, NY—Dozens of New York-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital nurses came together Thursday morning to demand a new contract that includes fair wages and benefits.

According to the New York State Nurses Association, HVH nurses have gone more than a year and a half without a contract while continuing to battle COVID-19 and even losing colleagues to the virus.

“We relied heavily on each other to navigate this pandemic. As frontline healthcare professionals, I have been moved by our strength and perseverance,” said Sue Beck, a registered nurse. “We are now asking that management address ongoing issues and settle a fair contract with the RNs so we can refocus our energies on the anticipated second wave of COVID – 19. It’s now two years that we are in negotiations, with no wage increases.”

HVH nurses joined the New York State Nurses Association in Dec. 2018 and bargained for a new contract in good faith with no results, they said. NYSNA representatives said a fair contract is long overdue.

Meanwhile, while nurses have gone without a raise for nearly two years, the association said HVH managers have given themselves and non-union workers two raises since nurses joined the association.

"The nurses earned these raises and withholding them constitutes both a legal and moral wrong. Nurses are preparing for if and when a resurgence of the COVID-19 takes place," the association said in a news release.

During Thursday's rally, local and state leaders joined nurses outside of NYP-Hudson Valley Hospital to show support.

"There is no one more essential than our nurses, who risk their lives—and the lives of the families they return home to—every day to keep us healthy and safe. I stand with New York State Nurses Association and the nurses at NY-Presbyterian Hudson Valley," Peekskill City Council Member Vanessa Agudelo said.

"Our nurses deserve much more than just sentiments of appreciation, they deserve a fair union contract and to be equitably compensated for the two years their wage increases have been withheld," said Mondaire Jones, a Democratic candidate running to represent New York’s 17th congressional district. "Let's make sure our care providers are fairly compensated and protected before the next wave of the pandemic hits."

Other leaders in attendance included NY Sen. Peter Harckham, Westchester legislators Colin Smith and Catherine Borgia and Peekskill City Council Member Patricia Riley.

Hospital officials released a statement to News 12 saying, “Our goal during the ongoing negotiations remains to reach a fair and reasonable agreement that rewards our nurses for their tremendous commitment and contribution to providing exceptional patient care."