New York State Nurses Association Rejects Albany Med’s Best and Final Contract Proposal
- The hospital’s package called for robust wage increases and enhanced benefits
- The offer was presented to NYSNA last week after seven months of good-faith negotiations
- Negotiations will continue but retroactive pay comes off the table
After seven months of negotiations, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) rejected Albany Med’s last and best contract proposal. The package presented to NYSNA by Albany Med last week would have allowed nurses to begin receiving higher wages and enhanced benefits the hospital has been waiting for more than half a year to provide.
Albany Med wanted nurses to have the right to vote on this proposal.
“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,” said Dennis P. McKenna, MD, president and chief executive officer of the Albany Med Health System.
Albany Medical Center’s proposals included:
- Robust base hourly wage increases of up to over $11,000 per year
- Enhanced benefits like preceptor pay and increased tuition reimbursement
- Heightened recruitment and retention efforts
- Nurses choose whether to pay union dues
If the union accepted the offer, nurses would have been eligible to receive hourly wage increases retroactive to Aug. 1, 2024. The time-limited offer also considered Albany Med’s ongoing negotiations with CDPHP. Because of the potentially significant impact this could place on hospital finances next year, and since Albany Medical Center must plan its finances for 2025, it can no longer guarantee retroactive pay.
Albany Med has been seeking to advance an agreement for months. Progress has been stalled by the union, whose proposals have been, and continue to be, contingent on requiring all Albany Med nurses to pay union dues.
“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,” Dr. McKenna said.
He added, “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.”
Negotiations will continue.