UTICA, N.Y. — Officials from Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) and the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) have reached an agreement on a new three-year contract. NYSNA represents the registered nurses at the St. Elizabeth Campus of MVHS. The nurses completed a ratification vote on April 29, with 96 percent voting in favor of […]
UTICA, N.Y. — Officials from Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) and the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) have reached an agreement on a new three-year contract.
NYSNA represents the registered nurses at the St. Elizabeth Campus of MVHS. The nurses completed a ratification vote on April 29, with 96 percent voting in favor of the new contract, according to a release from NYSNA. The pact includes no givebacks along with significant wage increases.
NYSNA nurses had been working under an expired contract since the 2021 winter COVID-19 surge, according to NYSNA.
Highlights of the new contract include:
• Page increases of more than 15 percent over three years
• Personal time off buy-back at 100 percent up to 100 hours to compensate nurses who sacrificed personal time during the pandemic
• Preceptor pay at an additional $2 per hour
• Tuition refund of 100 percent, up to $8,000
• Retroactive pay of $150 per month for 2020 and 2021 for full-time employees, prorated for part-time and per-diem employees
• Increase in night differential
• No givebacks
“This new contract is a win for nurses and patients in Utica,” NYSNA Local Bargaining Unit President Sheila Conley, RN, said in the release. “By negotiating a fair contract that respects frontline nurses and offers more competitive wages and benefits, we hope to be able to improve staffing to deliver the quality care our community deserves.”
“We appreciate and highly value all of our nursing staff,” MVHS President and CEO Darlene Stromstad, said in a separate statement. “The last two years have been very challenging and stressful, and our nurses have been going above and beyond, showing great resilience and caring. I believe this is a good contract for our nurses; it is fair and equitable, ensures that nurses are being paid competitive marketplace wages, and is sustainable for an organization like ours that primarily serves a very vulnerable population. I want to thank the NYSNA leadership for their willingness to work toward a positive outcome for our nurses and the organization.”
MVHS continues to work with the various unions representing employees as it prepares to transition into the new Wynn Hospital that is under construction.
The New York State Nurses Association (www.nysna.org) represents more than 42,000 members across the state. It is the state’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses.
Mohawk Valley Health System (www.mvhealthsystem.org) is the result of the 2014 affiliation between Faxton St. Luke’s Healthcare and St. Elizabeth Medical Center. The integrated health system has 4,200 full-time equivalent employees and a combined operating budget of
$566 million. It serves Oneida, Herkimer, and Madison counties with 21 primary care locations, a Children’s Health Center, a Women’s Health Center, a Breast Care Center, Urgent Care, and general, orthopedic, and neurological surgeons.