Tompkins County Legislature unanimously backs Cayuga Medical Center nurses’ right to unionize

The Tompkins County Legislature voted unanimously on Jan. 6 to adopt a resolution affirming the right of Cayuga Medical Center nurses to organize and expressing support for Cayuga United CWA in their effort to bargain for wages, benefits and safer staffing.

Legislator Iris Pacman introduced Resolution Doc ID 13799 and cited studies she said show marked improvements in patient outcomes after nurses unionize, including reported declines in certain complications of 15 to 60 percent and a 5.5 percent lower heart-attack mortality rate in unionized hospitals, according to the presentation she gave to the floor. Pacman also said more than 70 percent of eligible nurses had signed authorization cards and that an unfair-labor-practice charge had been filed over an alleged captive-audience, anti-union presentation by hospital administration.

The measure drew sustained public comment. Dozens of residents, nurses and labor leaders told the legislature about understaffed shifts, safety concerns and what they called anti-union communications from hospital management. Speakers included nurses who described 13-hour mandatory shifts and rationing of supplies, union leaders who pledged organizational support, and representatives from local teacher and labor unions who urged the county to back the nurses’ right to a free, fair election.

The resolution was seconded by Legislator Chris DeBianchi. Legislator Dan Wakeman offered a narrowly scoped amendment to remind Cayuga Medical Center to adhere to labor laws and remain neutral before the upcoming election; the mover and seconder accepted the change and the amended resolution proceeded to a roll-call vote.

Clerk-conducted roll call recorded all 16 legislators voting “Yes.” The clerk announced “16 ayes” and declared the motion passed unanimously. After the vote, the chair paused the meeting for a short recess and thanked the public for attending.

The resolution expresses the legislature’s support for nurses seeking collective bargaining to address staffing, pay, benefits and workplace safety. The text cited federal and state labor law principles as background for the resolution; the legislature did not direct a specific county policy change or require a county action beyond publishing the adopted resolution. The record shows no response from Cayuga Medical Center administration on the floor during the meeting.

Next steps noted at the meeting: the union election was scheduled for the coming week (as stated on the floor), and the resolution is intended to signal community backing while reminding the hospital to remain neutral and follow labor law.

(Reporters: Quotes and attributions are drawn from public comment and floor remarks recorded by the legislature; the resolution is Doc ID 13799 and the roll-call vote is in the meeting record.)