Contract talks stall as hospitals hire replacement nurses

NEW YORK — The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) says hospitals are spending heavily on temporary staff and replacement nurses instead of reaching contract agreements with frontline healthcare workers.

According to the union, hospitals have continued to allocate significant funds to short-term staffing solutions while contract negotiations remain unresolved. NYSNA argues that these resources should instead be directed toward fair contracts and improved working conditions for permanent nursing staff.

Union leaders say the ongoing dispute is about patient safety as much as it is about workers’ rights. They claim that safe staffing levels are essential to ensure quality care and prevent burnout among nurses.

“We continue to do the hard work at the bargaining table, fighting for our patients and our communities,” said NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, in a statement. “While our employers continue to use patients as bargaining chips, we know patients deserve better, and we will keep fighting for the safe staffing standards they deserve.”

NYSNA maintains that safe staffing ratios and fair contracts would lead to better outcomes for both patients and healthcare workers. The union says it remains committed to negotiations and to advocating for improved conditions across New York hospitals.

Hospital officials have not yet issued a detailed public response to the union’s latest claims as talks continue.