An effort to have officials to help break the contract stalemate between Albany Medical Center and the New York State Nurses Association is getting a lukewarm reception.
The unionized nurses have been without a contract for about six months. The union flatly rejected what the hospital had called its "last and best" contract offer, which would have come with retroactive pay back to August 1. This week hospital President and CEO Dr. Dennis McKenna called for outside intervention to end the impasse.
"I call on elected officials, local and statewide who, like us, know the role Albany Med plays in this region. They need Albany Med to be able to recruit and retain nurses. I ask them to speak up. Please lend their voices and tell NYSNA this deal is a good one, and they need to take it for a vote," said McKenna.
110th district state Assemblymember Phil Steck, a Democrat who represents Colonie, says that's not an easy ask. Steck has joined NYSNA nurses on picket lines in the past, and says it’s been reported that the hospitals' emergency room has the highest wait times of any hospital in the state.
“I do know from talking to EMS personnel in my district, that when they go down to Albany Med, they have very long wait times there before they can actually even deliver a patient into the ER, let alone having the patient actually be seen," Steck said. "So the nurses, the EMS personnel are far better judges of the situation there than I am. They are on the front line. I am not. So if the nurses are saying that this new contract does not address that problem sufficiently, I would have to believe that they were accurate."
In the 111th district, fellow-Democrat Angelo Santabarbara issued a statement saying he stands “firmly with the dedicated nurses at Albany Med" while urging Albany Med to negotiate a fair contract that addresses concerns about safe staffing.
David Galin, Chief of Staff to Mayor Kathy Sheehan, sent WAMC a statement that says in part "the mayor has been in contact with representatives from Albany Med and is also working to meet with NYSNA to better understand both management's and the union's perspectives."
State Assemblymember John McDonald, a Democrat from the 108th district, has already been talking with both sides but concedes there is little elected officials can do.
“We don't negotiate contracts by any stretch of imagination, but we recognize the challenges that nurses are under, not only at Albany Med, but throughout the state and throughout the country," McDonald said. "And by the same token, we recognize that, and I know this because I have a front row seat in the healthcare arena, we know the challenges the hospitals are facing, and we're going to try to help people to find a win-win situation.”
Assemblymember Pat Fahy of the 109th district, soon to join the state Senate, says she is optimistic and hopeful that a compromise can be reached soon.
Democratic Albany County Legislator Sam Fein of the 6th district has supported NYSNA in the past. He says he hasn't been approached by either side and doesn't plan to reach out.
"Ultimately, I think this contract is something that will have to be worked out between the NYSNA and Albany Med's administration. It's up to NYSNA and their members to determine, you know what's a fair contract for them," Fein said.
The union responded to a request for comment via email, saying:
“NYSNA nurses would also like to settle a contract as soon as possible. We are tired of McKenna dragging his feet and refusing to make progress on the proposals we’ve put forth that would allow us to provide for our families, patients, and community in a meaningful way. Anything that McKenna has supposedly offered, we have fought tooth and nail for. And we will keep fighting until we get a contract that ALL nurses deserve.”
The next bargaining session is set for Tuesday.
