Elected officials weigh in on Albany Med, NYSNA negotiations

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Albany Medical Center and the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) are reacting to a letter sent by elected officials weighing in on the contract dispute between the two organizations.

In a joint letter, New York Assemblymembers Pat Fahy and John McDonald, Sen. Neil Breslin, and Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, “We urge NYSNA to thoroughly consider the proposal on the table and to expeditiously resolve matters at hand.”

Both organizations reacted to the letter.

NYSNA told NEWS10: "Albany Med nurses look forward to returning to the bargaining table to secure a fair contract that prioritizes both safe patient care and the well-being of our frontline nurses. Our commitment to providing the highest quality care to our patients remains unwavering, and we will not back down in our fight for the resources, support, and recognition we need to do our jobs effectively."

Albany Med said: "We are grateful for the endorsement of our mission made by our elected leaders, and we join them in asking NYSNA to consider our proposal. It is an excellent one, and our nurses deserve the right to vote on it.”

The letter also said they believe in open and fair negotiations while supporting frontline nursing staff. They also cited the healthcare work shortages in hospitals across the state.

Albany Med said their proposal shows they are listening to nurses by offering pay increases. They also maintain they have safe staffing. NEWS10 has not received a reply from the nurses association about the status of negotiations.