(BROOKLYN, NEW YORK) - New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)-represented Nurses employed at NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP)-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital held a candlelight vigil outside the hospital last week to call attention to the rise in workplace violence.

The contract for 1,400 Nurses at the Hospital expired on April 30th and Nurses are demanding a fair contract that delivers enforceable Safe Staffing Standards, protections from workplace violence and more.

Several recent incidents of workplace harassment and violence have focused NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital Nurses on improving safety at the Brooklyn Hospital.

Earlier this month, hundreds of Nurses picketed the Hospital and spoke out, detailing recent violent incidents that have left Nurses injured and shaken.

Nurses at the candlelight vigil recounted being attacked at work and witnessing a police-involved shooting at the hospital in early January.

Several of Brooklyn’s Elected Officials, who joined NYSNA Nurses on the picket line, have sent an open letter to NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital executives to “express strong support for the Nurses at your facility and to urge Hospital Administration to bargain in good faith and swiftly reach a fair contract.”

NYP-Brooklyn Methodist NYSNA President and Registered Nurse Aldrich Crispino said: “Nurses are resilient, but we also need better protection on the job and support from management when we are threatened, attacked or injured at work. We want NYP-Brooklyn Methodist to negotiate a fair contract that protects patient and Nurse safety.”

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans said: “It’s past time for NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital to negotiate a fair contract with NYSNA Nurses. Nurses in Brooklyn and everywhere deserve to work in safe conditions with staffing standards that protect their patients and practice.”

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

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.

To Read This Labor News Story In Its Entirety, Go To: NYSNA Nurses Hold Candlelight Vigil at NYP-Brooklyn Methodist Hospital to Highlight Workplace Violence | New York State Nurses Association

NYNSA-Provided Photo.