Dear Friend,

One Day Longer, One Day Stronger, Nurses Close Out the Second Week of the Largest Nurse Strike in City History

The last week has proven striking NYSNA nurses’ resilience. They braved the cold to show hospitals that they won’t back down and to connect with the communities that have shown them so much support. Over Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, NYSNA members did a series of nonviolent actions at the homes of CEOs to demand that management settle fair contracts. They celebrated their communities by holding family days at each hospital and by hosting a speak-out with Rev. Al Sharpton. On Tuesday, Senator Bernie Sanders and Mayor Mamdani joined nurses – for Mamdani, this was his second visit to the strike line. Together, they encouraged nurses and lifted our spirits on the coldest day of the strike thus far. On Wednesday and Thursday, more community allies joined NYSNA members, showing hospitals that our fight is much larger than us. On Wednesday, nurses, patients, and families held a vigil, and patients’ family members spoke about the importance of NYSNA nurses to quality care in their hospitals. On Thursday, terminated labor and delivery nurses met with the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection Commissioner Sam Levine. This was the same day that hospitals and management resumed talks over the negotiating table, following the urging of our Mayor and Governor Hochul. NYSNA nurses are ready to settle fair contracts that respect nurses and patients and are willing to do whatever it takes to get the contracts they deserve.

Media across all platforms have been following the strike. Some of the highlights include Forbes, CBS, The New York Times, The Guardian, Democracy Now, Politico, The Gothamist, ABC, The Associated Press, CNN, NY1, Telemundo, News12, PIX11, Crain’s, The City, AMNY, Bronx Times, 1010 Wins, Prism, Amsterdam News, and New York Daily News.

To see more photos, visit our Facebook page. Visit NYC Hospital Greed to learn more about the campaign.

Recognizing Our New Board Members

We’re excited to have two NYSNA nurses join our leadership as new board members. Simone T. Way, BSN, RN, from Mount Sinai Morningside, who is also currently on strike, and Christina Evans, RN, from Vassar Brothers Medical Center, are both joining NYSNA’s board to represent members and help guide the union’s vision. Because Margaret Franks, RN, BSN, has joined NYSNA as a staff member, Petar Lovric, BSN, RN, CPEN, CCRN, from Health+Hospitals/Elmhurst Hospital, will be filling Franks’ position as treasurer. We congratulate them and look forward to their leadership in these new roles!

Congratulations to Samaritan Nurses!

After months and months of bargaining, NYSNA nurses at Samaritan reached a tentative agreement! Highlights include 5% wage increases in year one (with retro pay), protected pensions, new workplace violence language, increased differentials, safeguards on artificial intelligence, improvements in grievance procedures, and more! Samaritan nurses showed that when we fight, we win!

Support Nurses on Strike!

To secure the contract that nurses and patients in New York City deserve, we need all our union members to support and take action. As covered above, on Monday, Jan. 12, nearly 15,000 nurses walked out in a historic action. Management has taken all week to return to the bargaining table, but nurses will continue to fight! We need all the support we can get from NYSNA nurses and the broader community. To see ways you can support our NYSNA nurses, click here. Take a moment to send a message to greedy healthcare CEOs; donate to the NYSNA Protected Action Hardship Relief Fund (see below for more); and, most importantly, join us on the picket line!

Hands Off Our Healthcare! Ensure Our Healthcare is Not Stolen by NYP and Sinai Bosses!

NYSNA nurses at safety net facilities worked incredibly hard to win new contracts with our hospitals that protect our health benefits, improve staffing enforcement with make-whole remedies, lock in our pension, and guarantee raises equal to our NYC peers. Now greedy hospital executives at NewYork-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai are jeopardizing our win by proposing dangerous cuts to the NYSNA Benefits. This affects not just nurses in the city, but NYSNA nurses across the state – over 44,000 members at 50 different hospitals!

Call the major New York City trustees today to say no to dangerous healthcare cuts! Click on this flyer for more information and ways you can take action.

New Streamlined Hardship Fund Procedure!

Due to the length of the NYC Strike and the number of members affected, NYSNA’s Hardship Fund Committee has determined every member on strike at this time should receive a grant from the fund. To make this as easy as possible for NYSNA members, the Committee has streamlined the application and approval process for this strike. To receive the grant, a member on strike must only fill out a shorter attestation form to confirm they have not crossed the picket line, which will be sent via eblast. Striking members do not need to submit an application on the longer form previously provided by NYSNA.

Those who have already submitted applications will receive checks this week and do not need to fill out this new form. Payments will be sent to the address we have on file, so make sure your address is up to date on the My Membership section of the NYSNA website. (If you have received the last NY Nurse, your address is up to date.) We are doing everything we can to make sure payments are sent out as quickly as possible!

Recognizing Donors to NYSNA Hardship Relief Fund for Striking Nurses

We want to thank all our community supporters who have made donations to the NYSNA Protected Action Hardship Relief Fund. NYSNA set up the Hardship Relief Fund to give direct aid to our members who experience financial hardship due to strikes or protected actions. Thus far, we’ve received over 815 donations. A second “Saturday Night Live” cast member, Michael Che, made a generous donation this week. We also received generous donations from our labor allies, 1199 SEIU, Massachusetts Nurses Association, and Health Professionals and Allied Employees. We truly appreciate all the support.

Save the Date! Lobby Day 2026

Save the date for NYSNA Lobby Day on March 10. NYSNA members know that the fight for safe staffing, health equity and more requires allies. That’s why, every year, we meet elected officials in Albany to share our goals and ask them to join our fight. Sign up here and make sure the elected officials in Albany hear nurses’ voices!

Save the Date! Public Sector Nurses – Fix Tier 6

Join allies in Albany for a rally to call for legislators to Fix Tier 6. The action takes place on March 8, 2026, in the Albany MVP arena. You can join your fellow NYSNA members and allies to demand fairer pensions for public sector employees who are part of New York’s Tier 6 system. To sign up, click here.

Your Rights to Advocate for Patients When Encountering ICE

Nurses’ first duty is to care for and advocate for our patients. NYSNA nurses care for all New Yorkers regardless of immigration status, income or insurance status, race, religion, ability or disability, sexuality, or gender identity or expression — simply regardless. Read our statement regarding the federal policy change on immigration enforcement in “sensitive locations,” including hospitals and schools.

Our allies at the New York Immigration Coalition developed this toolkit to provide a comprehensive list of resources for community members, partners and allies who work with immigrants. The toolkit covers health, community safety, family resources, financial empowerment and more.

Learn your rights and get answers to frequently asked questions here to know what to do if you encounter ICE officers in your facility.

NYSNA has also prepared this list of legal resources related to immigration. Please review and share widely.

Sign Up for New NNU Courses Free for NYSNA Members

National Nurses United (NNU) is offering FREE virtual courses for NYSNA members. New Winter/Spring 2026 courses have been added. View the full calendar and register here, or click on the links below to learn more and register for the courses you’re interested in. When registering for NNU courses, be sure to check the first box, “Yes, I am a CNA/NNOC/NNU member.”

Winter/Spring offerings:

• “Our Patients Are Safe When We Are Safe: Workplace Violence and Back Injury Prevention in Health Care Facilities”

• “Trust and Doubt in the Fight for Health”

Seasonal Flu Alert and Resources

Flu season in New York state has started with a bang. In addition to the expected A and B strains, an additional flu strain mutation (influenza A H3N2 mutated from a “J” subclade to a “K” subclade) has emerged recently. Subclade K has quickly become the dominant strain in the U.S. and a number of other countries. It is not unusual for mutations like this to happen, but because the flu vaccine must be produced many months in advance, this type of change can result in a mismatch between the seasonal flu vaccine and the currently circulating flu strains. While this means the vaccine’s effectiveness may be lower, it can still decrease the incidence of severe disease, hospitalization and death.

Read more on this year’s flu and how to best protect yourself here and use this checklist to assess your facility’s response to the surge. If you have any questions or concerns regarding flu activity and infection control in your facility, please contact the NYSNA Occupational Health and Safety Representatives at [email protected].

Long COVID Guide

Read NYSNA’s Long COVID Guide to help you stay informed on the diagnosis, treatment options, benefits and rights for workers with long COVID.

NYSNA NEP ACP Educational Needs Survey

We value your input! Your feedback is essential and will help us enhance the NYSNA Nursing Education Program (NEP) and create new continuing education opportunities designed specifically for our Advanced Clinical Providers/Practitioners (ACP) members. Please take a moment to complete our survey. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and we sincerely appreciate your time and insights. All responses are completely confidential and will directly inform the future programs and offerings we develop. If you have any questions, call 212-785-0157, ext. 377, or email [email protected]. Thank you for your participation in this survey and for your dedication to lifelong learning!

Reporting Child Abuse Course Addendum Is Live on E-LeaRN

NYSNA’s Nursing Education and Practice (NEP) is happy to announce that NYSNA’S NYS Child Abuse: Identification and Reporting, 8th Edition — Addendum online course is now live on our E-LeaRN platform.

Anyone who completed the NYSNA course, NYS Child Abuse: Identification and Reporting, 8th Edition, through the NYSNA E-LeaRN platform between Oct. 1, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2025, is eligible to complete the addendum course with us. The addendum course is free for NYSNA members. If you are eligible, you may access the addendum course by logging onto E-LeaRN by clicking “Browse Catalog” and searching for “addendum.”

Every person who is required to take the mandated training related to child abuse must take either the full three-hour course or the one-hour addendum portion of the training by Nov. 17, 2026.

Check out the NYSNA website for the latest updates to this requirement. If you have any questions about your E-LeaRN account, please contact NEP at [email protected].

Call for Submissions! The Journal of the New York State Nurses Association

The Journal of the New York Nurses Association is calling for submissions. Authors are invited to submit scholarly papers, research studies, brief reports on clinical or educational innovations, and articles of opinion on subjects important to registered nurses. Of particular interest are papers addressing direct care issues. New authors and student authors are encouraged to submit manuscripts for publication. Read the latest flyer outlining submission categories here. Read the guidelines for submission here.

The latest volume of The Journal of the New York State Nurses Association is out now! You can read it here.

Med-Ed Continuing Education Discount

NYSNA has partnered with Med-Ed Continuing Nursing Education to provide NYSNA members with full access to the complete Med-Ed catalogue at a 50% reduced rate. These are all self-study programs that members can access and complete at their leisure. You can access these course offerings by going to NYSNA’s members-only website here, then clicking on the Med-Ed website link, and entering the Promo Code NYSNAMEMBER at checkout, where the discount will apply.

Please do not share this information with any nonmembers.

2026 Nurse Education and Practice Workshops

The 2026 Calendar is now live! NYSNA members can take advantage of FREE E-LeaRN courses, including state-mandated offerings, standard of practice and certification review courses, as well as nursing practice workshops. Take a look at the 2026 complete course offering, and register for the courses directly here. You must create an account and be signed in to search the full catalog of classes and register for them at no cost!

Seminar at Sea 2026

Last year, NYSNA nurses sailed to Spain and Portugal while learning about resilience, emotional intelligence and how they connect to nursing. Next year, join NYSNA on an unforgettable weeklong cruise to China, South Korea and Japan set to sail in April 2026! This is an opportunity to visit beautiful countries while obtaining nursing continuing education credits and learning about the relevant and important topic of artificial intelligence in nursing practice and nursing education. Check out the informational flyer to learn about this unique and informative educational program.  

Calling All Nurse Practitioners

The NYSNA Nursing Education and Practice Department has added required and important educational offerings specifically for nurse practitioners (NPs). The courses include new, updated and mandated courses. Learn more and register for these classes for NYSNA NPs.

Nurses’ Rights to Be Whistleblowers and Protest Your Assignments

NYSNA members should be empowered with the knowledge of laws that have been passed with NYSNA’s input to protect them and empower them to speak up when patient safety is compromised, either due to unsafe staffing or other factors, such as a lack of personal protective equipment, as was the case throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Take a moment to learn about your rights in this flyer.

NYSNA Life Insurance — It’s Time to Designate Your Beneficiary!

NYSNA already provides members with a great benefit at no cost: Basic MetLife Life Insurance! This coverage provides $20,000 of Basic Life Insurance and $20,000 of Basic Personal Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance. All active members in good standing represented for collective bargaining through the union will automatically be enrolled in the plan. This union benefit is in addition to any other insurance provided by your benefits fund, your contract or through your employer.

But for your loved ones to receive this benefit, you must designate them as a beneficiary! To enroll and receive instructions on designating a beneficiary for your new Basic Personal AD&D Insurance, go to nysnawinstonbenefits.com or call 1-866-483-1124.

Sign up with your NYSNA Member ID to set up and access your account and benefits. If you need your Member ID, please contact the NYSNA Membership department at [email protected]. Download the flyer for additional details.

NYSNA Will-Writing Benefits From MetLife

The NYSNA Benefits Fund gives NYSNA members who are covered by the NYSNA Benefits Fund access to personal will preparation services that MetLife Legal Plans offer — at no additional cost.

Having a will prevents unnecessary stress and ensures final wishes are clear. The Benefits Fund offers valuable legal resources through MetLife Legal Plans to assist with creating or updating a will with a member’s Basic Life coverage. As part of this benefit, members get legal guidance and unlimited consultations with network attorneys. Learn more here.

NYSNA Members Are Eligible for AFL-CIO’s Union Plus Benefits!

The benefits of being a NYSNA member extend beyond your NYSNA benefits. As an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, NYSNA members are also eligible for Union Plus benefits to help current and retired labor union members and their families save money and support them through major milestones, celebrations and hardships. These benefits include discounts on wireless plans, credit card deals, mortgage deals, insurance plans and more! Find out more on the AFL-CIO Union Plus website.

The Talkspace Go App Is Mental Health on the Go!

The Talkspace Go app is a great resource that provides daily mental health support on the go! Talkspace Go is a clinician-created, self-guided app so you can address mental health challenges and build mental fitness on your own schedule. It empowers couples, individuals and parents to take progress into their own hands in as little as five minutes a day. Access 400-plus self-guided classes and live weekly therapist-led, anonymous classes. Enjoy assessments, meditation exercises, journaling, reminders and more.

Talkspace Go app is available at no cost to members and their eligible household members! Click here for the instructions and passcode to access the app.

Free Benefits for NYSNA Members: Union Assistance Program and SPAN

The Union Assistance Program (UAP) is a confidential self-help program, independent from NYSNA, that is available to NYSNA members and their families as a membership benefit. When an employee or family member (18 or older) faces a significant personal problem, they can call UAP’s experienced counselors at 800-252-4555 for assistance at any time. Read more information on phone counseling services here.

Check out the January 2026 newsletter here, which focuses on growth-based resolutions for the new year.

Statewide Peer Assistance for Nurses (SPAN) is a confidential education, support and advocacy program for all nurses licensed in New York state who are dealing with substance use issues. Visit the SPAN website for more information or to sign up for one of its upcoming classes. Check out SPAN’s new Compassion Project.

In solidarity,
Pat Kane, RN
Executive Director, NYSNA