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

The Tompkins County Legislature on Jan. 6 adopted an amended resolution affirming workers’ right to unionize and expressing support for Cayuga United CWA and nurses at Cayuga Medical Center. Legislator Iris Pacman introduced the measure and the roll-call vote was 16–0 in favor.

Pacman, a sponsor of the resolution, told colleagues the county is in a unique position to "shine a light on what is happening in our county" and cited studies she said link nurse unionization to improved patient outcomes. "Patients in hospitals where nurses are unionized are 5.5 percent less likely to die from a heart attack," she said while urging support for the amended language that also asks the hospital to "adhere to all labor laws and remain neutral in advance of the upcoming union election." The amendment to add that language was read into the record and accepted as part of the resolution.

Dozens of community members and health-care workers gave public comment before the vote. John Tavares, president of UAW Local 2300, described unionization as a matter of safety and respect: "When workers stand together with a real union, everything changes." Nurses and supporters repeatedly tied staffing shortages and unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios to risks for patients and staff, and several public speakers said they or colleagues had faced anti‑union messaging from hospital management.

The resolution’s sponsors told the legislature the measure is a public statement of support and not a binding order. The resolution references a filed unfair labor practice charge related to an alleged mandatory meeting with anti‑union content; the legislature’s action was a statement in support of the nurses’ right to a free and fair process. The chair announced the measure passed unanimously and thanked members of the public for attending.