Samaritan Health Reaches Wage Agreement with New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)

Published on: November 23, 2021

New wage structure addresses changes in North Country market

Watertown, N.Y. – Samaritan Health has reached an agreement with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) to raise wages for its unionized registered nurses (RNs) significantly, by 14%, in light of current market conditions. As a result of this agreement, Samaritan has increased its starting RN wage from $30.41 to $34.67 an hour. The average full-time Samaritan RN earns approximately $82,500 per year.

Samaritan completed a significant market-rate adjustment for its employees in August of this year that impacted many positions and led to adopting a new $15 per hour minimum wage rate for all entry-level positions. Approximately 1,200 staff received a pay increase at that time. RN wages did not increase in August due to Samaritan’s assessment that its wages remained market-competitive at that time. However, RNs did receive a 1% lump-sum payment for their continued dedicated work.

Local and regional market RN wages have increased dramatically since August, and we recognized our nursing staff wages needed to be adjusted. As Samaritan completed its analysis, it was presented with a proposal from NYSNA that was consistent with our analysis and was accepted. The agreement was ratified by a vote of RNs on Monday, November 22, will be retroactive to August 1, 2021 and impacts 408 RNs at the Medical Center.

Samaritan is pleased that this pay change for our dedicated nurses will ensure its RNs are paid rates well within the competitive range for our region.

As the nationwide shortage of registered nurses continues to impact hospital systems throughout the country, this increase will supplement Samaritan’s continued efforts to recruit and retain nurses. We strive to hire and retain the highest-quality nurses through strong wage offers, a comprehensive benefits package, and sign-on bonuses.