H. Rose Schneider at The Albany Times Union reports the Albany Medical Center and the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) have reached a tentative agreement on a four-year contract, ending more than a year of negotiations - should Members vote to ratify it. The contract would more swiftly enforce staffing ratios than current New York State enforcement, NYSNA spokesperson Kristi Barnes said. In June, Albany Med agreed to pay the State Department of Health $375,000 for violating State Staffing Laws following a 2024 report prompted by NYSNA. With some of the worst emergency room wait times in the country, the hospital also recently announced a $25 million expansion of its Adult Emergency Department, which would be completed in 2026. The contract would also include 16% to 22% first-year wage increases, market parity for the next two years of the contract and 3% annual increases after that, according to NYSNA. There would be no wage caps for experienced Nurses. Around 1,600 Nurses would be impacted, according to NYSNA. "Nurses tirelessly advocated for our patients for over a year," Jennifer Bejo, a Registered Nurse and Union Local President at Albany Med said. "Together, we achieved a tentative agreement that will ensure patients receive the care they deserve and that Nurses are respected so that they want to stay at this hospital."

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