REPORT: September 2006

Governor betrays city nurses

Vetoes ‘physically taxing’ bill

by Nancy Webber

Nursing isn’t a physically taxing profession. At least that seems to be the opinion of New York Gov. George Pataki.

The bill that would have designated registered nurse positions as “physically taxing” for RNs who work for the City of New York was vetoed by the governor on Aug. 16. If enacted into law, the measure would have allowed RNs who had worked at least 25 years for the city eligibility for early retirement. The bill had passed both houses of the State Legislature by overwhelming margins and was supported by the New York City Council.

NYSNA members and lobbyists had met several times with the Governor’s staff urging that the bill be signed. “This lame-duck governor cares more about playing to a national audience than about the health and welfare of city nurses,” said Nancy Kaleda, senior associate director of NYSNA’s Economic & General Welfare Program. “We are outraged at this betrayal of hard-working RNs.”

The bill made remarkable progress in just one year, thanks to the activism of city nurses. “Other unions were envious of our success,” said Shaun Flynn, associate director of NYSNA’s Nursing Advocacy & Information Program.

The “physically taxing” bill will be reintroduced next year. Flynn urged nurses to tell gubernatorial candidate Eliot Spitzer, who has been endorsed by NYSNA, that this measure must be enacted. Strategies for getting the bill enacted next year will be discussed by city nurses this fall.