PORT JEFFERSON, NY — Nurses at St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson delivered a strike notice to hospital executives, New York State Nurses' Association officials said Tuesday afternoon.
Dozens of nurses marched to St. Charles Hospital President James O’Conner’s office to notify the hospital that they will strike beginning Monday, July 13, unless management negotiates a fair contract that delivers safe staffing and fair wages, according to officials.
In a statement to Patch, the hospital's executives acknowledged they received the notice.
"The notice does not mean a strike will occur, and NYSNA may withdraw it at any time," they said. "While we are disappointed by this step, our immediate priority is clear: St. Charles will remain open and prepared to care for our patients if a strike occurs."
"We have a comprehensive contingency plan in place to maintain safe, high-quality care and minimize disruption to the community," they added.
They went on to say that they will continue "to value our nurses and the important role they play in caring for our patients."
"St. Charles has bargained in good faith for months and has put forward proposals that support our nurses, patients and hospital, including competitive compensation and benefits, a defined benefit pension plan, professional development opportunities and a continued commitment to safe staffing and high-quality care," they said. "We remain ready to continue negotiations and urge NYSNA to stay at the bargaining table so we can reach a fair agreement and prevent a strike."
The nurses announced on June 12 that a near-unanimous 99.7 percent of nurses voted to authorize a strike, after nurses bargaining for months with "enforceable safe staffing has been the key sticking point in negotiations," they stated in a news release.
Hospital administrators "continue to frequently understaff nurses, even after nurses filed hundreds of complaints to enforce the safe staffing standards in their contract, a state Department of Health investigation found nearly 200 violations of the safe staffing law, and the hospital signed an agreement committing to hire and staff more nurses," the nurses' release stated.
In May, nurses compiled 244 unresolved staffing complaint, which is the most complaints of any month in the 18 months since the state began its investigation, the nurses union said.
"St. Charles hospital executives are flouting New York’s safe staffing law, the staffing standards in the nurses’ contract, and putting patient safety at risk," they stated.
"With safety conditions seemingly deteriorating instead of improving, nurses are prioritizing a contract that helps them hold the hospital accountable for safe staffing to protect safe patient care."
President of the nurses' local bargaining unit at St. Charles Hospital and intensive care nurse Rob Barone, said, “Nurses need strong staffing enforcement in our contract to hold our hospital accountable. Hospital management promises safer staffing and fails to deliver time after time. Our nurses, patients and community deserve better.”
Nurses also allege St. Charles' management is treating them unfairly and NYSNA has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the hospital for refusing to release the corrective actions they will take to resolve the staffing violations that DOH found, and trying to silence nurses’ voice at work, according to the association.
In response to the union’s claims about staff-to-patient ratios, the hospital's executives said in a statement that "contrary to the union’s claims, patient safety and quality care have not been — and will not be — compromised."
"We maintain a thoughtful, ongoing staffing review process focused on supporting patient safety and quality care that has earned us Leapfrog 'A”'grades and a five-star CMS rating," they said. "If a strike occurs, St. Charles will remain open and operational and will continue to provide excellent, safe, high-quality care to the community."
The nurses are among around 1,000 Catholic Health nurses at three hospitals currently negotiating contracts.
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