After seven months of discussions, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) has turned down Albany Med's final contract proposal. The offer aimed to provide nurses with increased wages and improved benefits that Albany Med had been planning for over six months.
Albany Med expressed a desire for nurses to have the opportunity to vote on the proposal. Dennis P. McKenna, MD, president and CEO of Albany Med Health System, stated, "We invited NYSNA to the negotiating table in April and have negotiated in good faith in the best interest of our nurses for 30 weeks. Last week, we presented our best and final offer in hopes of moving forward, and to give our nurses the benefits they have more than earned and have been waiting for. Unfortunately, NYSNA did not accept our offer, preventing us from providing our nurses the benefits they deserve."
The hospital's proposals included substantial base hourly wage increases potentially exceeding $11,000 annually, enhanced benefits such as preceptor pay and increased tuition reimbursement, strengthened recruitment and retention efforts, and allowing nurses to decide whether to pay union dues.
If accepted by the union, retroactive hourly wage increases dating back to August 1, 2024 would have been available. However, due to ongoing negotiations with CDPHP that could significantly impact finances next year and financial planning requirements for 2025, Albany Medical Center can no longer guarantee retroactive pay.
Albany Med has made efforts towards an agreement but progress has been hindered by union demands requiring all Albany Med nurses to pay union dues. Dr. McKenna emphasized that "not all nurses pay dues, and not all nurses want to pay dues. We firmly believe in the right for our nurses to choose, and we will not accept anything less."
He further noted that many nurses expressed a desire to move forward with voting on the proposal but felt their voices were not heard by the union. "Many of our nurses have told us they want to move forward, and they wanted to vote on our proposal. It is unfortunate that the union did not listen. We have always listened to our nurses, and we will continue fighting for what they have earned and deserve," he added.
Negotiations between NYSNA and Albany Med are set to continue.
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