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(SARANAC LAKE, NEW YORK) – After nearly a year of contract negotiations, Nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) at Adirondack Medical Center held an informational picket on Wednesday (October 7th) to call for a fair contract to ensure there are enough Nurses to care for their community and to protect Nurse and patient safety.<\/p>\n
The Unionized Nurses are seeking entry to the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) Benefit Fund, which will provide affordable health care benefits for Nurses and their families.<\/p>\n
Adirondack\u2019s current employer-provided health plan is both costly and limited, acting as a deterrent for both recruiting and retaining quality Nurses in the North Country.<\/p>\n
Gaining access to the NYSNA Benefit Fund would ensure Nurses have access to the affordable, full health coverage needed to keep themselves, their families, and their patients safe and healthy. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Negotiations with the Hospital began in November 2025 – and since that time, management has refused to address the Nurses\u2019 main concern: Recruiting and retaining experienced Nurses to provide safe, quality care.<\/p>\n
Nurses responded to management dragging their feet at the bargaining table by launching a digital action and advertising campaign for community members.<\/p>\n
More than 400 community members took action in support of Adirondack Nurses by sending e-mails to Hospital CEO Aaron Kramer, demanding he settle a fair contract that includes affordable health benefits.<\/p>\n
They also held the facility\u2019s first public action outside the hospital in 25 years in July and Wednesday\u2019s informational picket was the first at the Hospital in 25 years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt’s going to get harder to recruit and retain Nurses as our family plans become more expensive and our wages fall further behind most of the other area Hospitals,\u201d said Registered Nurse (RN) Bill Schneider, who serves as Second Vice President of NYSNA and is President of the NYSNA Adirondack Medical Center Bargaining Unit. \u201cEvery day, Nurses work hard to care for our patients and community. Why is Adirondack making Nurses struggle to get the health coverage and meaningful wages they and their families need?\u201d<\/p>\n
Adirondack Medical Center is the last NYSNA-represented Hospital in the North Country without the NYSNA Benefit Fund, which will deliver better and more affordable health benefits to Nurses.<\/p>\n
Instead, Nurses are forced onto an expensive employer-provided health plan where Adirondack Health is the only provider.<\/p>\n
Nurses report being denied coverage for medically-necessary procedures and high co-pays for services not provided at Adirondack, including radiation therapy and chemotherapy for cancer treatment.<\/p>\n
\u201cNYSNA Nurses at Adirondack Medical Center are right to speak out and advocate for their patients and profession. Nurses in this community put their own health on the line every day they come to work and they deserve quality, affordable health benefits,\u201d NYSNA President Nancy Hagans said. \u201cIt is shameful that the largest private employer in the Adirondack Park is refusing to listen to the Nurses and negotiate a fair contract that keeps the Hospital competitive and helps recruit and retain enough Nurses for quality care.\u201d<\/p>\n