Dear Friend,

Chag Pesach Sameach! From all of us at NYSNA, wishing everyone celebrating a very Happy Passover!

St. Joseph’s Medical Center Nurses Speak Out

On Thursday, March 26, NYSNA nurses at St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Yonkers made their demands for safe staffing and real enforcement to protect patients and nurses loud and clear in a speak-out. Nurses sounded the alarm on the rampant understaffing that hospital management is failing to address and detailed the more than 130 official patient safety complaints that nurses filed in the first three months of 2026 alone. Nurses are ready for management to get serious about their proposal to address the hospital’s safety crisis and negotiate a fair contract that helps to recruit and retain enough nurses for safe patient care. Together with allies — including Westchester County Legislator David Tubiolo, Westchester County Legislator and Westchester Putnam County Labor Body Director Jenn Puja, Westchester Putnam County Labor Body Secretary Treasurer Florence McCue, Yonkers City Council Member Corazon Pineda-Isaac and SEIU 32BJ members — nurses showed the hospital that they won’t stop until they get the fair contract their community deserves!

Victory at WMC-HealthAlliance!

After months of bargaining for a fair contract that protects nurses and patients, NYSNA nurses at Westchester Medical Center (WMC)-HealthAlliance Hospital in Kingston reached a tentative contract agreement! Nurses have been demanding protection from workplace violence, an issue that has only been growing over the last several years. Despite multiple recent incidents, WMC/HealthAlliance Hospital refused to take proper safety measures to protect patients, nurses and other healthcare workers until nurses spoke out on March 11. After holding a speak-out and raising the alarm, nurses secured a tentative agreement that makes significant steps toward addressing nurse and patient safety. Nurses will begin voting on their tentative contract agreement next week. Congratulations, WMC-HealthAlliance nurses!

Another Victory for North Country Nurses at Elizabethtown!

After months of bargaining for a fair contract that protects nurses and patients, NYSNA nurses at UVM-Elizabethtown Community Hospital also reached a tentative contract agreement. Highlights include securing the NYSNA benefit fund, job security for senior nurses, and the wages and benefits necessary to recruit and retain enough nurses to care for North Country residents. Great work, Elizabethtown nurses! Now it’s time for management at Adirondack, Alice Hyde, and Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital to get serious and settle fair contracts!

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans Speaks at CLC Women’s History Month Event

On Monday, March 23, the New York City Central Labor Council (NYC CLC) and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) hosted some of the city’s strongest labor leaders at a brunch for Women’s History Month, “Leading the Change — Women Shaping a Sustainable Future Through the Worker’s Lens.” Newly appointed New York City Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su delivered the keynote address. NYC CLC Secretary-Treasurer and UFT Vice President for Academic High Schools Janella T. Hinds moderated a panel with Rebecca Damon ( Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists); Patricia White ( International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees and New York City Theatrical Wardrobe Union, Local 764); Gloria Middleton (Communications Workers of America Local 1180); and our President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN. The panel discussion highlighted women leaders across the labor movement who are addressing the affordability crisis and taking action to improve their communities. These women leaders inspire our work every day.

Mount Sinai Local Bargaining Unit President Darla Joiner Speaks at Commemoration of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

This year marks the 115th anniversary of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, one of the most pivotal events in U.S. history and a turning point in the labor movement’s struggle to achieve fair wages, dignity at work and safe working conditions. At this year’s commemoration, Mount Sinai local bargaining unit president Darla Joiner spoke about how the event spurred the labor movement’s action on health and safety and workers’ rights, fights that continue today, and shaped the city as a union town. As a union of nurses and healthcare professionals who are predominantly women — including many immigrant women — working in a dangerous profession, NYSNA is still answering the call to better our working conditions!

NYSNA Joins Tax the Rich Rally

This Sunday, March 29, at 2 p.m. at Lehman College, join NYSNA nurses and allies, including Senator Bernie Sanders, to call on legislators to tax the rich. President Hagans will be one of the keynote speakers at the rally. We’ll take action with unions, community groups and faith leaders to reduce the cost-of-living burden on working families, tax the ultra-wealthy and raise corporate taxes to invest in healthcare for all. Sign up today here.

No Kings Rally Tomorrow!

In the face of federal attacks on our patients, workers and communities, NYSNA members are ready to take action to protect our democracy. Join NYSNA members tomorrow, Saturday, March 28, at 2 p.m. in Manhattan, as part of a nationwide Day of Action to speak out against the federal government’s attacks on workers’ rights, immigrant rights, healthcare funding and access to care. Click here to sign up, and share the flyer with your coworkers.

ECMC Nurses on the Move

Over the past few months, nurses at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) have been hard at work advocating for their patients, staying active and engaged. Earlier this month, Board Member John Batson spoke in Albany about Medicaid cuts and workplace violence during our yearly Lobby Day, and ECMC members joined the Fix Tier 6 Rally in Albany to demand that the state take action so that all workers retire with dignity and respect. Most recently, the Central Labor Council of Western New York swore in Taneca Smith, RN as the newest member. ECMC members know that winning for their communities takes work and that when nurses fight, we win!

Victory for NYSNA Nurses at North Star/Carthage Area Hospital and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center

Faced with bankruptcies and potential cuts and closures, NYSNA nurses at North Star/Carthage Area Hospital and Claxton-Hepburn Medical Center took action and held a speak-out to demand fair funding for their hospitals. They also launched a community petition, which more than 1,000 North Country residents signed, calling on the Department of Health to stabilize funding. New York state delivered, funding the hospitals and committing to sustaining funding for the next few weeks! Nurses will continue to fight to include fair funding for our rural and safety net hospitals in the New York state budget, but for now, this is a huge victory. Congratulations, Carthage and Claxton nurses!

NYSNA Emergency and Disaster Preparedness Committee

NYSNA is forming an Emergency/Disaster Preparedness committee and is seeking representation from each NYSNA facility. NYSNA Health and Safety will lead the committee, with the goal of encouraging collaboration and information sharing between NYSNA facilities. Sign up to join and learn more info!

Spring 2026 Labor Education Trainings Open for Registration

NYSNA’s Labor Education Department trains members on how to become more engaged in the union’s work. Sign up for upcoming standard virtual/ Zoom trainings. On Wednesday, April 1, join members from across the union to learn how your hospital is using artificial intelligence. Other workshops will include learning about NYSNA and the labor movement, how to increase turnout at union meetings and events, how to win issues on your unit, how to take control of meetings with management and more. Check out Labor Education’s updated full spring schedule here.

Registration is also open for our four-part Leadership Training taking place on four consecutive Thursdays: April 30, May 7, May 14 and May 21.

Please share the flyer of upcoming workshops with your coworkers and email [email protected] directly if you have questions or to schedule a workshop in your facility.

Take Action to Fix Tier 6!

All workers deserve to retire with dignity and respect. That’s why New York state needs to take action now to Fix Tier 6! Tier 6 is the retirement plan for New York state’s public employees who joined the program after April 2012. This plan makes enrollees pay into the program for their entire careers at higher rates than previous plans and prevents enrollees from retiring before age 63 without facing heavy penalties. Tier 6 leads to significantly reduced pensions, which disincentivize New Yorkers — including nurses — from working in the public sector. In light of federal attacks on healthcare funding, our state legislators must do everything possible to help public sector hospitals recruit and retain enough nurses to safely care for the New Yorkers who need it most! To take action to fix Tier 6, use this form to email your legislators today!

Take Action to Pass the New York for All Act!

All New Yorkers, regardless of immigration status, should be able to lead open lives in our state, participate in their communities, provide for their families and access healthcare without intimidation. The New York for All Act will allow immigrant New Yorkers to lead more open lives and take care of family; preserve state and local resources for our communities; and ensure that our administration cannot divert New York dollars to carry out a cruel, politicized immigration agenda. Passing this legislation would prohibit New York’s state and local government agencies, including police and sheriffs, from colluding with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), disclosing sensitive information, and diverting personnel or other resources to further federal immigration enforcement. Learn more and sign the petition to urge Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature to pass the New York for All Act!

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.

We Agree With Pope Leo XIV — It’s Time to Pass Medicare for All

At a conference last week, Pope Leo XIV called universal health care a “moral imperative.” He said, “Healthcare must be accessible to the most vulnerable … not only because their dignity requires it but also to prevent injustice from becoming a cause of conflict. Health cannot be a luxury for the few.” As nurses who fight for patients every single day, we could not agree more. It’s now more than ever time to pass Medicare for All. To take action and make these demands a reality, join National Nurses United’s (NNU) National Organizing Call on Wednesday, April 1, and sign the Patients Over Profits pledge.

Sign Up for New NNU Courses Free for NYSNA Members

National Nurses United (NNU) is offering FREE virtual courses for NYSNA members. New 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.”

Spring offerings:

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

• “Our Patients are Safe When We Are Safe and Environments of Harm”

• “Nursing Practice in Our Current Moment & Some Cuts Don’t Heal”

• “Immigrant Justice, Global Migration, and Public Health & Increasing Danger of Workplace Violence in Health Care”

• “Hospital Staffing and Bearing Witness, Building Power”

• “Housing and Health-and-Health Care and Big Tech”

Applications for 2026 Secor Scholarships Now Open

The Secor Scholarship Fund, established in 2007, was made possible by a generous bequest by long-time NYSNA member Jane Secor, PhD, RN. Dr. Secor stipulated that the endowment be used for furthering nursing education. Two Secor Scholarships are awarded annually, and applications are now open. One $5,000 scholarship is given to a NYSNA member pursuing a baccalaureate (or higher) degree in nursing. Another $5,000 is awarded to a family member seeking a first degree in nursing. The degree can be at any level, but it must be the first degree in nursing sought by the applicant. Click on this flyer for more information, and visit our website to apply.

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

Sign up for Nurse Education and Practice Workshops in 2026! 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!

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 March 2026 newsletterhere to strengthen your financial future. 

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 Compassion Project.

In solidarity,
Pat Kane, RN
Executive Director, NYSNA