NY.- Thousands of nurses who provide services in different public hospitals in this city are demanding better conditions and pay equity in health.
Almost nine thousand, including hundreds of Dominicans, among other ethnic groups, with a contract that expires on March 2 of this year, demand better working conditions since they care for the most vulnerable patients in the Big Apple and have been essential in saving lives during the covid-19 pandemic.
They also care for a disproportionate number of uninsured and underinsured patients, yet NYC’s public hospitals are the least staffed and least resourced, and their nurses are the lowest paid in the five boroughs.
“Our nurses in the public sector are under-resourced, under-staffed and under-paid,” said NYSNA President Nancy Hagans.
“We demand that the city negotiate a fair contract with pay equity for nurses, patients and communities,” he said.
He added that private sector companies recently signed new contracts and tentative agreements that have achieved historic gains in safe staff ratios and compliance, maintained quality health care benefits and will increase wages by more than 19% in three years.
The pay gap between private and public sector nurses will increase to more than $19,500 per year, Hagans said.
New York City Health+Hospitals is the largest public health system in the United States, serving 1.4 million New Yorkers each year, regardless of ability to pay, including 475,000 uninsured patients.
