(LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK) - The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) has launched an advertising campaign that focuses on Northwell’s high executive pay, while its Health Care Workers employed at Peconic are some of the lowest paid on Long Island. 

A new public website reveals “Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling made $7.7 million dollars in 2021 in salary, bonus and perks.”

The Caregivers and their Union are demanding Northwell Health negotiate fair contracts for 700 Health Care Professionals employed at Long Island Jewish (LIJ) Valley Stream and Peconic Bay Medical Center (Peconic).

At the beginning of this month, NYSNA Members took to the streets outside both hospitals to speak out for fair contracts and announce that they voted by a margin of 99.5% to authorize a Strike after seeing little progress in negotiations.

The Health Care Workers are back at the bargaining table this week with the priority of winning safe staffing and fair wages.

Meanwhile, the Long Island Federation of Labor and 22 Labor Unions sent their own message to Northwell Health’s CEO. 

In a letter, they took aim at private hospitals’ pursuit of profits and said: “We call on Northwell Health to immediately deliver and finalize a fair contract.  Do the right thing.”

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans said: “It’s time for Northwell to put patients over profits. NYSNA Members at every facility on Long Island deserve safe staffing and fair pay, so they can deliver quality care in every community they serve.  Striking is always a last resort, but Northwell Nurses and Health Care Professionals are ready to do whatever it takes to win fair contracts.”

Sandra Armstrong, NYSNA’s local leader at LIJ Valley Stream, said: "Our Nurses at LIJ Valley Stream are committed to providing quality care and to do that we need a fair contract that helps us recruit and retain enough Nurses.  We are physically, mentally and emotionally tired of continually doing more with less.  We are tired of seeing Northwell invest in outrageous pay for their executives, in building facelifts and advertising, but not in quality patient care and the Nurses who have sacrificed our own health and well-being throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic to care for our community.  Nurses and patients deserve safe staffing - and we are willing to fight for it."

Chris Honor, the local President at Peconic and NYSNA’s Southeastern Regional Director, said: “We are tired of being disrespected.  For twenty-two years, Nurses have been polled as the most trusted profession in the country.  All we’re asking for is to be treated fairly.  We’re not looking to be the highest paid, we’re looking to be fairly compensated for providing quality care and services for our patients.” 

NYSNA, which represents more than 42,000 Members across the State, is New York’s largest Union and Professional Association for Registered Nurses.

NYSNA 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 Story, Go To: NYSNA Healthcare Workers Say Northwell Health’s Greed Leaves Patient in Need | New York State Nurses Association