Albany Medical Center’s CEO is pushing back after the New York State Nurses Union rejected what the hospital calls their best and final contract offer. The offer would have included retroactive pay going back to August 1, which is now off the table, the hospital said.

The nurses have been without a contract for about six months. They’re asking the hospital for safe staffing, fair wages and benefits, and a union voice, they said.

McKenna wants to raise the starting salary for nurses from $33 an hour to $37.50 an hour, with increases up over $40 an hour over the next three years.

“That is an increase they deserve. It is one I want to give them. But the union did not even have the courtesy to allow that proposal to come forward for a vote,” McKenna said on Tuesday morning.

The nurses union argues the proposal doesn’t do enough to guarantee safe staffing and improve wait times for patient care.

”We demand that Albany Med executives stop the stunts and negotiate a fair contract that nurses and patients of this community deserve,” the union said in a statement, earlier this week.

McKenna said many nurses have told him they are not hearing back from the union when they email them.

“Albany Med has always represented our nurses first. We have always listened to our nurses and we always will. And I will tell you, I listened to them last night and they are very upset with the union that is meant to represent them here at Albany Med,” he said. “They are very disappointed that the union refused to even bring our proposal forward for a vote. The union’s sole interest is money in their pocket, collecting dues from members and requiring all or med nurses to auto enroll and become dues paying members whether they agree to it or not.”

McKenna pushed back on NYSNA’s claims about the new contract not helping staffing levels.

“This year we’ve kept and hired more nurses than the union cares to talk about. Over 250 hires. This year alone, we have strengthened existing programs and established new programs with every nursing school in the region and our hospital is safely staffed. It always has been for a time,” he said.

“It does not do nearly enough to guarantee safe staffing, fair wages and benefits, and a union voice. Nurses want to settle a fair contract that protects patient care as soon as possible. We are still understaffed and our patients are still waiting too long for care. We demand that Albany Med executives stop the stunts and negotiate a fair contract that nurses and patients of this community deserve,” McKenna said.

The Department of Health recently visited Albany Med and had no deficiencies in their emergency department, McKenna said.

“Trust is earned and it is earned by objective searchable facts,” McKenna said.

“NYSNA needs to listen to our nurses. Our nurses want this deal. They want to move forward,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nurse Tania Bazel has been at the bargaining meetings between the union and the hospital.
She says the hospital continues to deny the staffing crisis.

Albany Med currently has 1,683 full-time nurses. The hospital says this is a full staff, but Bazel says it’s not.

Learn about where she said a communication breakdown lies between nurses and the union, by watching the video of Tessa Bentulan’s story.