(ONEIDA, NEW YORK) - New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)-represented Nurses employed at Oneida Health Hospital held an informational picket on Wednesday (March 19th) to demand management negotiate in good faith and settle a fair contract with safe staffing and a real plan to retain Nurses for safe patient care.  

Oneida Hospital management has been dragging their feet for months, NYSNA charged.

Earlier this year management refused to agree to more bargaining sessions and only agreed to come to the table after Nurses held a speak out, Union Officials said.

Nurses filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULO) Charge in February after management refused to bargain in person.  

According to data collected by the New York State Department of Health, over the past 10 years, the share of Oneida Health Hospital patients coded as having “extreme” severity of illness more than doubled - from 4% in 2012 to 10% in 2022.

The share of inpatients with an “extreme” risk of mortality tripled in that same time period, going from 3% to 9%.  

More than half of all inpatients were admitted through the Emergency Department, which has been on diversion twice since the beginning of the year.

When hospitals are on diversion, it means there are not enough Staff or capacity to care for the influx of patients.

And traveling longer distances for health care can lead to worse health outcomes for patients.

Oneida Health Hospital services mostly publicly insured patients from the local community, who rely on the hospital for inpatient care, such as emergency services and maternity care.

Roughly a quarter of inpatients use Medicaid and over a third use Medicare, NYSNA said.  

The growing retention problem means there are not enough experienced Nurses to train new hires.

Nurses believe the package offered by Oneida management, with wage increases that do not exceed inflation, ignores the retention problem and does not take safe staffing seriously, the Union said. 

And Oneida Health’s Nurses are some of the lowest paid in the region despite Oneida Hospital bringing in nearly $133 million in revenue, up from $121 million the year prior, NYSNA said.

The Union-represented Nurses have been asking for enforceable Safe Staffing Standards, a plan to retain experienced Nurses and regionally competitive wages and benefits.

Although New York state enacted a Safe Staffing Law to ensure there are enough Nurses to safely care for patients, Oneida Hospital management has refused to incorporate clear and enforceable Safe Staffing Standards into their contract, as is standard in Nurse contracts across New York, NYSNA said.  

Speaking at a news conference, NYSNA President Nancy Hagans said: “Oneida management needs to stop playing games with their Nurses and start taking patient care seriously. If Oneida wants to be a hospital that the community respects, it needs to invest in the nurses that deliver the quality care patients deserve. Oneida Nurses should know they have (42,000) NYSNA Nurses behind them in this fight.”  

Registered Nurse Terry Delaney also spoke, saying: “Experience is essential in nursing. So many of the things we do you can only learn from Nurses at the beside. If Oneida doesn’t agree to a contract that keeps our best here, we won’t have the experience to train new Nurses. Training and education are key to ensuring that patients get quality care, and if Oneida cared about this community, management would listen to Nurses and invest in safe patient care.” 

Another Registered Nurse, Kim Stark, said: “Management refuses to take safe patient care seriously and shows that in bargaining. Our patients are coming in sicker than ever. We have said time and time again, we need a contract that Nurses, patients and this community deserves. Instead of working to retain the experienced Nurses who care about this community, they’ve created a revolving door with Nurses leaving just as quickly as they are hired. We know Oneida can do more to retain Nurses for safe patient care, they just keep showing that it's not a priority.” 

Also speaking at the news conference was Central New York AFL-CIO Area Labor Federation President Ann Marie Taliercio, who said: “People from across the region rely on Oneida for essential services. Our community deserves the best care possible. Instead, I hear from community members that they are going to hospitals further away to get maternity care and other essential services. This is unacceptable. Patients should get the care they need - here, in Oneida. The hospital needs to respect its Nurses and ensure that they stay in Oneida because we know more Nurses means better care.” 

Central New York AFL-CIO Labor Council President Joe LaPaglia added: “Our tireless Nurses are the backbone of this community’s health. It’s unconscionable that Oneida does not prioritize Nurses and disrespects them by failing to bargain in good faith. If Oneida cared about this community, they would agree to a fair contract now!” 

For months, Nurses at Oneida have been fighting for a contract with clear, enforceable safe staffing standards that comply with State Law, as well as wages and benefits that will keep Nurses at the bedside that will help them provide the safe, quality patient care the community deserves, NYSNA said.

Earlier this year, Nurses marched to the office of CEO Felissa Koernig to demand management come back to the table.  They also held a speak out.

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

NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU), the country's largest and fastest-growing Union and Professional Association of Registered Nurses, with more than 225,000 Members nationwide.

Photo Courtesy Of NYSNA’s Facebook Page.