Nurses Speak Out In Letter To Northwell CEO Demanding Fair Contract

NASSAU COUNTY, NY — New York State Nurses Association nurses from Northwell Hospitals spoke out and sent a letter to the President and CEO of Northwell Health demanding a fair contract.

The letter, signed by more than 150 nurses from Plainview and Syosset hospitals, was delivered on Wednesday to John D'Angelo. Nurses at Northwell facilities have been bargaining for months, and Northwell responded by delaying and denying nurses' demands, according to NYSNA.

Cynthia Donenfeld, RN at Northwell/Plainview, wrote the original letter and is sharing her opinion on Northwell's response.

"The disconnect between your message of shared purpose, the actions of your bargaining team, and the reality of these contract proposals is disheartening and disillusioning," she said. "All Northwell nurses want is to deliver safe, high-quality care with dignity and support. We need our leadership to truly share our commitment to compassionate, quality care. You can demonstrate your commitment by negotiating the fair contracts that Northwell nurses and patients deserve."

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, BSN, RN, CCRN, added, “NYSNA nurses are making big changes on Long Island and standing up to the state’s largest private employer. This is what nurses do. They are first and foremost patient advocates, fighting to improve patient care. Northwell nurses are united and will not stop until they get the contracts that respect patients and Long Island communities.”

The letter asks the CEO to commit to a fair contract for the nurses. The letter begins by stating that on Oct. 1, Northwell sent a message to staff emphasizing leadership through purpose.

"Your words resonated with many of us," the letter NYSNA nurses shared said. "However, the current contract proposals being presented to the nurses stand in opposition to that message. The offers Northwell has presented include inadequate pay and benefits and work rules that will negatively impact nurse and patient safety."

NYSNA nurses said in the letter that Northwell negotiators come late and unprepared to the bargaining tables and leave negotiations early.

The nurses have been bargaining for months and spoke out last week, calling on management to settle a fair contract and taking strike votes over the course of last week.

Nurses from Northwell/Plainview, Northwell/Syosset, and Northwell/Huntington gathered at Northwell headquarters last week for a rally and speak-out in an effort to fight for quality patient care.

More than 1,000 nurses at the three Northwell hospitals have been bargaining for a new union contract for months, NYSNA said.

"They aim to settle fair contracts by the end of the year, but instead of negotiating fair contracts that help hire and retain nurses for safe staffing, Northwell management is asking for major concessions that could erode quality care on Long Island," NYSNA wrote in a release. "Northwell nurses are uniting to demand Northwell prioritize quality care on Long Island."

NYSNA shared that safe staffing is a major concern for nurses to help keep patients safe, and they stated that management wants to keep staffing levels that "don't reflect the increased demands in units like the emergency room, where nurses are asked to take care of up to twelve patients."