Huntington Hospital nurses say locker room letters signal tensions ahead of possible strike
If no agreement is reached, the strike is scheduled to begin Monday.
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Nurses at Huntington Hospital say they were instructed to completely empty their lockers by Jan. 11, just one day before more than 1,000 nurses across three Northwell Health hospitals are expected to go on strike if contract negotiations fail.
The letters, which nurses say were placed in locker rooms Wednesday, come amid nearly a year of stalled talks between Northwell Health and the New York State Nurses Association. Nurses at Huntington, Plainview and Syosset hospitals have issued a 10-day strike notice, with a potential walkout set to begin Monday.
Patients and families say they are worried about what a strike could mean for care.
“I really truly hope that doesn’t happen,” said Barbara Calvet, of Northport, whose daughter spent the day in the hospital. “It was very busy and they took care of it with such diligence and such patience and kindness.”
Northwell Health did not comment specifically on the locker room letters but said in a statement it does not anticipate disruptions to patient care, adding it has contingency plans in place, including hiring temporary nurses from a New York state-accredited health care staffing agency if a strike occurs.
The New York State Nurses Association says current contracts allow one nurse to care for up to 12 patients, a ratio it argues puts patient safety at risk.
In a statement to News 12, NYSNA said nurses are not intimidated by what it called Northwell’s tactics and continue bargaining late into the night to push for safer staffing levels.
The letters also state that any belongings left behind will be removed and that nurses not working during the strike will not be allowed inside hospital buildings.
If no agreement is reached, the strike is scheduled to begin Monday.
