(MASSENA, NEW YORK) – New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) Members from Massena Hospital, with support from Nurses at Canton-Potsdam and Gouverneur Hospitals and New York State Teachers Union (NYSUT) Members, local elected officials, and other Labor and Community Allies held an informational picket on Thursday (April 20th) to call on St. Lawrence Health to include safe staffing and enforcements in their contract to address chronic understaffing and ensure quality care for patients in the North Country.

After hosting a successful community town hall meeting last week, Nurses attended a barging session Wednesday (April 19th) that lasted more than 18 hours and ended in Nurses frustrated at St. Lawrence Health’s unwillingness to discuss safe staffing, NYSNA said.

At the informational picket, Nurses brought their message directly to hospital administrators alongside Community and Labor Allies.

While Nurses made progress at the bargaining table on the important issues of wages and benefits, they maintain safe staffing and enforcement must be included in their contract to ensure Nurse recruitment and retention, and to provide patients with the quality care they deserve.

“I was born here, I have children here, I've built a life here, and I want to stay here.  I wish St. Lawrence would invest in Nurses the way we have invested in our community,” Registered Nurse Casey Paquin said. “This is personal to us - (these are) our friends and family's community hospitals.  If we don't make them better, our families suffer.”

Registered Nurse Megan Poupore said: “We have a very clear message for St. Lawrence Health: No Staffing, No Contract.  I’m here picketing after bargaining late into the night and after working a shift in the OR because while I’m physically tired, I’m more tired of seeing St. Lawrence putting their bottom line before patient safety.  For Nurses, patient safety is the bottom line!”

Registered Nurse Amanda Murray said: “Since St. Lawrence Health bought Massena Hospital, they have gutted our services.  Nurses are forced to wear many hats, from ER Nurse to OB Nurse to Housekeeper, to provide patients the best care with limited Staff.  But we are stretched so thin it is unsafe.  When St. Lawrence walked away from the bargaining table before addressing safe staffing, they walked away from patient care and from the Nurses who provide it.” 

NYSNA - New York’s largest Union and Professional Association for Registered Nurses   represents more than 42,000 Members, the Union is an affiliate of National Nurses United, the country's largest and fastest-growing Union and Professional Association of Registered Nurses, with more than 225,000 Members nationwide.

To Directly Access This Labor News Report, Go To: NYSNA Nurses Held Informational Picket on Staffing and Services Crisis in North Country (Photos & Videos) | New York State Nurses Association

Photo Courtesy Of NYSNA’s Facebook Page.  Click Here For More Photos And Video From The Day Of Action.