NEW YORK — Hundreds of NYSNA nurses from Health + Hospitals/Mayorals of New York City gathered to speak and march at H+H corporate headquarters on Wednesday as demands for health equity mount.
NYC H+H Nurses / Mayorals provide care to the city’s most vulnerable patients and have been instrumental in saving lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. They serve a disproportionate number of uninsured and underinsured patients. However, New York City’s public hospitals have the lowest staff and resources, and their nurses are the lowest paid in the five boroughs.
“Our public sector nurses suffer from a lack of resources, staffing, and low wages,” said Nancy Haggans, president of NYSNA, RN, BSN, CCRN. “They do the same life-saving work as nurses in the private sector, but get paid much less, and the pay disparity is increasing. We are all nurses. We demand equal health for our patients and our communities, and we demand pay equity for nursing staff at NYC Health+ and hospitals.” And the mayors.
With the contract expiring March 2, 2023, NYC H+H Nurses / Mayorals are asking the city to negotiate a fair contract with equal pay for nurses and health equality for patients and communities.
Private nurses in New York City at 10 hospitals I recently signed new contracts and temporary agreements that made historic gains in safe employee ratios and compliance, preserved quality health care benefits, and will increase wages by more than 19 percent in three years.
The pay disparity between public and private nurses will increase to more than $19,500 a year, which could further hurt efforts to retain public sector nurses unless NYC H+H reinvigorates pay parity in the NYC H+H/Mayorals contract.
“Nurses are the backbone of our healthcare systems, providing care that saves lives,” said Councilwoman Carolina Rivera. “I stand in solidarity with those workers who deserve a fair contract and greater protection. I support the New York State Nurses Association in their walk for healthy justice for communities and fight for improvements in the workplace.”
New York City Health+ hospitals are the largest public health system in the United States, serving 1.4 million New Yorkers each year, regardless of ability to pay, including 475,000 uninsured patients.
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