Riverhead’s Peconic Bay Medical Center healthcare workers to strike starting Feb. 21 if demands not met

Over 400 nurses and healthcare workers at Peconic Bay Medical Center plan to walk out of the hospital beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 21 if an agreement with Northwell Health is not reached for fairer contracts.

Members of the New York State Nurses Association at both Peconic and LIJ Valley Stream gave their hospital administrators the federally-mandated 10-day strike notice on Friday.

This means nearly 700 employees at both medical centers on Long Island could strike in the next two weeks.

Over 99% of the healthcare workers and nurses voted in favor of a strike on Feb. 1 if the negotiating board determines it is necessary. An assessment was made prior to the vote where all union members identified pay parity and safe staffing as two items they want to see on the agenda for negotiations.

Christopher Honor, local bargaining unit president and registered nurse at Peconic, previously told The Suffolk Times that NYSNA healthcare professionals want to continue to negotiate in “good faith.”

According to a news release, NYSNA members at Peconic were at the bargaining table on Friday and will continue to meet with administration until Feb. 21 to reach an agreement to avert the strike.

“We have our eye on the prize — a fair contract with safe staffing that will allow us to retain healthcare workers and provide excellent patient care,” Mr. Honor said in a statement. “We see striking as a last resort, but I’m confident because my colleagues are confident that we must do what it takes because we are committed to doing what’s best for our patients — if that means going on strike, we are ready.” 

This is a developing story and will be updated.