Smithtown Nurses Vote To Ratify Contract At St. Catherine Of Siena

SMITHTOWN, NY — Nurses at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown avoided a strike.

Nurses in the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) at the hospital ratified a new contract late Tuesday, with 89 percent of nurses voting in favor, the NYSNA announced.

The new three-year contract includes "significant gains" for nurses, such as set nurse-to-patient staffing ratios to improve patient safety, expedited staffing enforcement language, and an average wage increase of 23 percent over the course of the contract.

Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day were upgraded to premium holidays; retiree health benefits were improved, float incentive pay was added, and more.

"From the beginning, St. Catherine of Siena nurses made clear what this was all about: Safe staffing for our patients and respect for our nurses," said Tammy Miller, union president of NYSNA at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital and nurse, in a news release. "With improved staffing and wage increases that make us competitive with other Long Island hospitals, St. Catherine will be able to recruit and retain more nurses to ensure quality care for every single patient that walks through our doors. This is the power of our union!"

The agreement comes after 98 percent of nurses voted to authorize a strike on Aug. 14. A tentative agreement was reached in the early morning of Friday after a bargaining session lasted overnight.

"We said we would do whatever it takes to win a fair contract because we care about our patients," said Lorraine Incarnato, a NYSNA nurse at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital. "We were prepared to go on strike but are so glad to have reached an agreement that keeps us where we want to be, at the bedside caring for our patients. We're proud to join St. Joseph and St. Charles nurses as the third Catholic Health System hospital to win a fair contract, a testament to what nurses can do when we fight together for our profession and for our community."

St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, through a spokeswoman, said it is "pleased" to reach an agreement that reflects the hospital's commitment to its nurses.

"The agreement ensures that our nurses continue to be supported with competitive salary increases and staffing improvements," the hospital stated. "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."

In January, nurses at Mount Sinai South Nassau in Oceanside voted to join NYSNA. In February, NYSNA 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. This past June, St. Charles nurses settled a new contract shortly after delivering a strike notice.

"Long Island nurses are on a roll!" NYSNA President Nancy Hagans stated. "With this victory, St. Catherine of Siena nurses showed the power of nurses coming together to fight for the care their patients deserve, and the respect nurses deserve. This is a new day for Long Island nurses and patients."