Nurses' Union At St. Charles Hospital In Port Jefferson Ratifies New 3-Year Contract

PORT JEFFERSON, NY — The New York State Nurses Association's unit at St. Charles Hospital ratified a new contract with an overwhelming majority of nurses — 97.4 percent — voting in favor of ratification on Tuesday night, union officials said.

The new three-year contract includes set nurse-to-patient staffing ratios for patient safety, expedited staffing enforcement language, and an average wage increase of 20.5 percent over the three years. Other provisions include Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day as premium holidays, improved retiree health benefits, increased education benefits, and float incentive pay.

The union voted last week to authorize a strike, which would have allowed for a 10-day notice to be given to Catholic Health Services of Long Island's management. The agreement with management was reached on Saturday.

Unit President Rob Barone called the victory "a pivotal moment" for the nurses.

"We were focused and united in our goal of patient safety, and our commitment paid off," he said. "I’m proud of all St. Charles nurses who advocated for our patients by speaking out, marching, and showing up at the bargaining table. We look forward to continuing to work with St. Charles Hospital for the health and well-being of our community.”

Union President Nancy Hagans said the nurses at the hospital "held firm and won a great contract to protect quality care for the Port Jefferson community."

"I’m proud of their commitment to safeguarding the future of nursing and the safety of our patients," she said. "It takes courage to fight for what is right. Long Island nurses are once again proving that when we fight, we win.”

In a statement to Patch, a hospital spokesperson said, “St. Charles Hospital is pleased to have reached an agreement that reflects the hospital’s commitment to our nurses. The agreement ensures that our nurses continue to be supported with competitive salary increases and staffing improvements. Our nurses are vital to ensuring the communities we serve have access to the highest levels of care, and we are grateful for their dedication to our patients.”

Nurses at St. Catherine of Siena, whose contract expires on July 31, start bargaining a new contract later this month.

In February, Nurses at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside voted to join the union, and then nurses at Northwell Health’s South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore voted to approve a new contract that raised their salaries nearly 19 percent, and won an expedited arbitration of staffing disputes three days before they were set to strike.

In April, St. Joseph’s Hospital of Catholic Health Services settled a contract with increased wages and staffing wins for nurses.