Mayor de Blasio and New York State Nurses Association Announce Contract Agreement

December 14, 2019

Ratified agreement includes wage increases and changes to address recruitment and retention problems and help nurses deliver quality care

NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio announced today that the City of New York has reached a contract agreement with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), which represents more than 8,500 nurses across the NYC Health + Hospitals system (H+H) and City Agencies.

The agreement includes compounded wage increases of 2.00%, 2.25%, 0.25%, and 3.00% over nearly 45 months, is retroactive to June 6, 2019, and expires on March 2, 2023.

"Nurses are vital to the health and well-being of our city," said Mayor Bill de Blasio. "With our agreement with the New York State Nurses Association, we’re paying a fair wage and addressing longstanding issues of recruitment and retention to ensure these nurses have the support they need to continue to provide excellent care to all New Yorkers."

"Nurses are the heart of our mission to care for all New Yorkers without exception. Their professionalism and compassion exemplify the values of our organization," said Mitchell Katz, MD, President and CEO of NYC Health + Hospitals. "The care of our patients and the people who care for them are a priority in the City’s public health system, and NYSNA and their members are critical in that effort."

"We are thrilled to have reached an agreement with our partners at NYSNA that’s good for nurses, our health system and the million-plus patients we serve," said Chief Nurse Executive for NYC Health + Hospitals Natalia Cineas, DNP, RN, NEA-BC. "As a part of our transformation we have hired a significant number of new nurses and look forward to adding to our team as we make our system more attractive for nurses with a passion for excellence and our mission."

"Throughout this negotiation, Mayor de Blasio and his representatives in the contract negotiation demonstrated a fundamental commitment to the people of New York City.  They listened intently to the nurses and others speak about conditions in the public hospitals and the contract reflects what they heard and learned. ­­ We thank the Mayor for the respect he showed us and for a contract that supports nurses and patients and the many communities we serve.  The respect is very much mutual," said Jill Furillo, RN, NYSNA Executive Director.

"This is a great win for the nurses of NYC H+H and Mayorals, and the patients we care for.  With this contract and its many important provisions, including nurse-to-patient ratios, we can raise the level of patient care. That’s the real winner. Thanks to my fellow NYSNA nurses for their extraordinarily hard work and devotion to the people of New York City. We greatly appreciate NYC H+H President and CEO Dr. Mitchell Katz for his dedication to the public's health. We are so proud to be a part of a system that stands for healthcare as a human right," said Judith Cutchin, RN, NYSNA Board Member and President, NYSNA's NYC H+H/Mayoral Executive Council.

The City has agreed to collaboratively address nurse-to-patient staffing ratios with NYSNA and establish an escalation process including non-binding mediation.

To address recruitment and retention issues, H+H and NYSNA have agreed to changes in certain salaries and differentials for specific subsets of the bargaining unit which have experienced severe recruitment and retention problems in recent years, such as Nurse Practitioners, and Nurses in certain targeted specialty areas and/or with specific levels of education.

The parties have also collaborated to enhance the employee experience by adding and modifying contract language relating to workplace violence prevention, disaster relief leave, nurse practice councils, floating assignments, safe patient handling and posting and filling of vacancies. In addition, NYSNA will have the right to opt into the NYS Paid Family Leave Program during the term of the contract. 

This agreement has been ratified by NYSNA membership.

The total cost of the NYSNA settlement through Fiscal Year 2023 is $336 million, which is covered by existing resources.