St. Charles Hospital's Management And Nurses Reach Tentative Agreement, Days Before Strike's Start

PORT JEFFERSON, NY — The nurses at St. Charles reached a tentative contract agreement late Wednesday night — averting a strike that was set to begin in days — pending a vote to ratify a new contract, the New York State Nurses Association said.

President of the local bargaining unit and intensive care nurse, Rob Barone, said the nurses "fought tooth and nail for a fair contract that will help us fix the staffing crisis at the hospital we love."

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"We are proud of what we accomplished and encourage our members to ratify this contract," he said. "We are looking forward to improving accountability for safe staffing, so we can deliver the best possible care to our friends, families and community."

"As we move forward with our transition with Good Samaritan University Hospital, St. Charles nurses’ goal is to ensure a strong future for this hospital based on quality care with enough nurses—and this contract will do just that," he added.

In a statement, the hospital's management confirmed they reached a tentative agreement for a new labor contract covering the nurses, and the union withdrew its notice to strike, saying it was "an encouraging step forward for our nurses, patients, and community."

"The tentative agreement reflects a continued commitment to invest in our nurses and deliver excellent patient care," the statement read. "We are pleased to have reached this tentative agreement and appreciate the efforts of everyone involved throughout the negotiations."

Management looks forward to "the outcome of that vote," they said.

Highlights of the three-year tentative agreement include improved enforceable safe staffing standards, including hiring more nurses, creating a float pool of nurses to maintain safe staffing levels, and a new expedited staffing enforcement process.

It also includes new workplace violence protections, including enhanced security rounding and personal panic buttons, and new protections against discipline for use of sick time.

The contract contains new safeguards on artificial intelligence, including provisions to protect the nurses' clinical judgement and requirements to provide notice and discussion when implementing new technology or AI.

It also has an annual base wage increases of 4 percent, 3 percent, and 4 percent over the three-year contract, additional wage increases to help recruit, train and retain experienced nurses, and icreases to retiree health benefits.

The strike was set to begin on July 13.

The union's members will vote on the contract on Friday.

More details on the tentative agreement will be released following the expected ratification of the contract, the union said.

Dozens of nurses marched to St. Charles Hospital President James O’Connor’s office last week to notify him that they will strike unless management negotiated a fair contract that delivers safe staffing and fair wages, according to union officials.

More than 99 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," the union said.

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.