Hundreds of nurses picketed outside Albany Medical Center on Tuesday, seeking a fair contract.

It has been nearly three weeks since the hospital’s contract with the nurses’ union expired. The union is urging Albany Med to resume contract talks. It says hospital management agreed to bargaining with a mediator, but not until nearly four weeks after the contract expired.

Nurses say patient safety is at stake.

The hospital issued a statement:

Patient care continues at Albany Med tonight, as it does without interruption around the clock.

We invited the union to the table in April to work toward a contract that respects all members of our workforce. The proposals that we presented reflect the guiding principles that we set at the start of negotiations: Fairness to all employees, fiscal responsibility, and safe, quality care.

Our staffing plans are compliant with state laws. Albany Med’s own clinical staffing committee developed and unanimously agreed on a staffing plan for all clinical units for 2025. The committee includes hospital leadership, nurses, including NYSNA nurses, and clinical support staff. That agreement was reached independent of negotiations, and the plan was submitted to the state Department of Health on July 1. We are proud of the collaboration that proves our own colleagues understand best what the people of our region need.

We never stop advocating for our nurses and advancing policies that respect their work and dedication to the high level of care only we can provide. Albany Med presented more than 20 proposals over 14 negotiating sessions. Those proposals included increases to hourly wages, tuition reimbursement, and premium pay programs, a standardized vacation policy, preserving an employee’s choice to pay union dues, and more. We even went to the union to advocate for raises for our nurses. More than half of our total budget is dedicated to salaries and benefits, because our workforce is our most important asset. Over the last several years, more staff have joined us than have left. Albany Med also has dozens of employees who have been with our organization for a quarter century or more. We are grateful for their dedication and commitment. They demonstrate what Albany Med is all about.