Members of the union representing nurses and support staff at the Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital Medical Center in Plattsburgh voted overwhelmingly Wednesday night to authorize a strike “if necessary.” Local union leaders discussed the results outside the hospital Thursday morning.
The New York State Nurses Association has been negotiating with the CVPH Medical Center for about two years on a new labor contract. Issues include safe staffing and quality care; wage parity with the UVM Health Network; and health insurance.
There are about 720 union members at the northern New York hospital and union representatives say of those who voted 92 percent authorized a strike.
Oncology nurse & NYSNA Executive Committee co-chair Bobbi-Jo Otis says union members are ready to strike because they feel hospital administrators have not been bargaining in good faith.
“That has not happened over the last two years that we’ve been trying to negotiate a contract," Otis said. "Since summer of 2020 besides cutting the ancillary staff over half, they also changed the ratios so we’re caring for more patients with less help.”
Union members have been working without a contract for 27 months. ER and Ambulatory Surgery RN Elizabeth Craigmyle says the strike vote is not about wages.
“This is not about greed," Craigmyle said. "This is about need. A strike is not something we want to do. When nurses are outside of a building there’s something wrong inside the building. You know you cannot recruit or retain when you cannot even get a contract here. And oh by the way we’re going to cut your health benefits! We’re going to give you something substandard in the middle of a pandemic. You have to take care of your front line workers in order for them to take care of you.”
The CVPH Medical Center is part of the University of Vermont Health Network. Ambulatory Surgery RN Christopher Swiesz says there is a perception that resources are diverted to the Vermont facilities.
“Money seems to be going across the pond but it’s not coming back to hospitals over here," Swiesz said. "They can seem to cover the contract with their nurses and other ancillary staff. They have all this money for everybody else and here we are two years into negotiations and now we had a strike vote. It seems to be flowing in one direction I guess is the way that we’re all kind of feeling right now.”
Otis says members will strike if negotiations do not resume, and they have approached a mediator to schedule further meetings.
“She has given us five or six dates that she is available," Otis said. "CVPH has agreed to one date. But we’re available. This literally is sitting on CVPH’s doorstep to come forward and do what they say that they’re going to do.”
The hospital issued a statement Thursday morning in response to the strike authorization vote. Alice Hyde Medical Center and Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital President Michelle LeBeau writes in part: “After 2 years of negotiations with NYSNA, health insurance remains the biggest barrier to reaching a collective bargaining agreement....Our desire is that during upcoming bargaining sessions, we collectively develop a plan for the transition to the University of Vermont Health Network insurance...”
The hospital also notes they hope to reach an agreement and are declining further comment.
