NYSNA nurses win pay parity

H+H nurses mobilize for second pay parity increase

By Anne Songcayauon

National Nurse magazine - Oct | Nov | Dec 2024 Issue

New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) members at NYC Health+Hospitals (H+H) fought hard for and won a contract with pay parity in 2023. When H+H failed to implement the second parity increase owed effective July 31, nurses mobilized to demand answers. Management was unilaterally attempting to delay nurses’ pay parity to November. This was a contract violation and betrayal of all hard-working New York City public-sector nurses. Nurses quickly mobilized and wore NYSNA red scrubs at H+H facilities to show their united demands for their hard-earned parity increases. 

“Our public hospitals are the backbone of health care in NYC, but we are always being asked to do more with less,” said NYSNA director at large and president of NYSNA’s NYC H+H/Mayorals Executive Council, Sonia Lawrence, RN. “Pay parity was necessary to stop the hemorrhaging of our nurses from leaving H+H. We reached an agreement with the city last year, and it’s insulting to attempt to delay our parity pay.”

During the 2023 contract campaign, pay parity was the top-line goal as nurses faced high turnover rates and a $19,500/year pay disparity gap between private- and public-sector nurses. Nurses also pointed to H+H’s wasteful spending on expensive temp travel nurse contracts that cost more than three times the cost of employing staff nurses. 

Since the contract victory last year, pay parity has helped H+H hire more than 2,000 new nurses and improve nurse retention rates. H+H nurses know that pay parity achieves safe staffing and refuse to go back to the dark days of understaffing and thousands of nurse vacancies.

H+H management tried to blame the delay in pay on its antiquated payroll system, but members did not accept that excuse. NYSNA leaders had pushed for years, including in the last round of bargaining, for H+H to improve its payroll system, because getting paid on time and correctly is a matter of respect. 

For two Fridays in a row, nurses from all 11 H+H facilities wore their red NYSNA scrubs and took action for pay parity signing petition boards.

Nearly a dozen New York City elected officials, including Council Speaker Adrienne Adams and City Comptroller Brad Lander, showed their support and solidarity throughout the week on social media and demanded management deliver pay parity to nurses.

On Sept. 4, nurses were excited to share that their collective action was a victory. H+H announced that the new expected tentative pay date was expedited from Nov. 8 to Sept. 27, 2024. This victory is a direct result of nurses’ involvement and solidarity. 

“The mobilization and victory of nurses demonstrates our unity and resolve, showing that we will not back down in our fight to earn the respect we demand and deserve,” said Lawrence. “When we fight, we win!”