Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg today announced that a tentative settlement has been reached with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), subject to ratification by the union membership, on an overall collective bargaining agreement. The agreement covers 6,500 Registered Nurses who work at City hospitals and clinics run by the Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC), as well as at some mayoral agencies. The new contract covers the twenty-five month and twenty day period from December 1, 2007 through January 20, 2010. This contract settlement contains the same economic parameters for the comparable time period as the agreements reached with D.C. 37 and other municipal unions.

"Nurses are on the front lines ensuring the health and safety of those who are ill and injured, they are integral to the City's hospital system," said Mayor Bloomberg. "I applaud the NYSNA for working with us to reach an agreement that will provide not only fair compensation to current nurses, but also attractive compensation package to future nurses. We are also pleased that the negotiations concluded in a timely manner and that a settlement has been reached prior to the end of the current agreement with the City."

"Nurses are the backbone of our hospitals and skilled nursing homes and play a vital role in our ability to offer quality patient care," said HHC President Alan D. Aviles. "We are committed to offering competitive salaries and a supportive work environment that will allow us to attract and retain top nursing talent. With a nursing shortage still looming, the terms of this contract will help make a nursing career in the public hospital system that much more attractive to young women and men and can ensure that we can continue to meet the needs of our patients in the future."

"This contract will substantially increase City nurses' salaries, which will help alleviate staffing problems by retaining experienced nurses and recruiting new hires," said Nancy Kaleda, senior associate director of the Nurses Association's collective bargaining program.

The principal features of the Agreement include:

• Wage increases of 2% on January 1, 2008 and 5% on July 1, 2008, compounded
  
  
• A $100 Welfare Fund increase on December 1, 2007, plus a $166.67 per employee lump sum payment to the Welfare Fund on April 1, 2008
  
  
• Effective December 1, 2007 the certification differential will be increased to $1,378 per annum per employee

Additional compensation funds will be used to provide benefits for both long-time nurses as well as newly hired nurses. Effective January 1, 2008 an additional step - $1,000 for 22 years of service - will be added to the experience schedule. Also effective January 1, 2008, incumbent nurses at HHC will be given credit for up to 5 additional years of outside experience that they did not receive credit for when they were hired. Previously, credit for outside experience was limited to 5 years. Newly hired nurses at HHC will also be given credit for up to 10 years of outside service.

The Mayor thanked Deputy Mayor Edward Skyler, HHC President and Chief Executive Alan Aviles and his staff, New York State Nurses Association senior associate director Nancy Kaleda, Labor Commissioner James F. Hanley and First Deputy Commissioner Pamela S. Silverblatt and their team, and Budget  Director Mark Page and his staff for their efforts in reaching this Agreement.