St. Catherine of Siena Hospital nurses voting on potential strike

Nurses at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital in Smithtown opened voting Wednesday to determine whether they will authorize a strike as they fight for a new contract with higher pay and improved nurse staffing.

The New York State Nurses Association has about 400 members at the hospital, which is part of Catholic Health. Voting will be open through 8 p.m. Friday, and if the union opts to approve a strike, it will provide a 10-day notice to the hospital.

“We didn’t want to have to take this step, but nurses made a commitment that we would do whatever it takes for patient safety and a fair contract,” Tammy Miller, a registered nurse and NYSNA union president at St. Catherine of Siena Hospital, said in a statement. “We are tired of begging to get the safe staffing levels and improved wages we need to retain nurses at St. Catherine.”

NYSNA’s contract at the hospital expired July 31 after it failed to reach an agreement in negotiating sessions that began June 30. The union held a march in late July, with about 130 nurses bringing their contract demands to hospital management offices.

“St. Catherine of Siena Hospital has participated in nine bargaining sessions with NYSNA and has made significant offers on wages, staffing and other matters of importance," a spokeswoman for the hospital said. "We continue to bargain in good faith and remain committed to achieving a fair contract.”

Recruiting and retaining registered nurses is a priority for health systems, as replacing them or hiring temporary workers can drive up expenses. Last year, hospitals in the Northeast reported a registered nurse turnover rate of 22.2%. That was an improvement compared with 2021 but still above turnover rates recorded before the pandemic, according to a survey published by NSI Nursing Solutions, a Pennsylvania-based nurse staffing firm.

Other local hospitals have recently agreed to contracts with NYSNA nurses. The union won a contract in June at Catholic Health’s St. Charles Hospital in Port Jefferson, with nurses securing a 20.5% pay bump over three years and contractual nurse-to-patient ratios.

At Northwell Health’s South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, nurses reached a contract in February that provides a nearly 19% pay raise over three years.

In both cases, the union agreed to contracts after nurses had voted to authorize a strike but before any strike began.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story contained an incorrect date for the start of negotiations.

By Jonathan LaMantia

jonathan.lamantia@newsday.com@jonlamantia

Jonathan LaMantia covers residential real estate and other business news on Long Island. He previously covered the business of health care for Crain's New York Business.