The Registered Nurses at Lenox Hill Hospital were first organized into a union in 1980 by Local 1199, the Health Care Workers Union. They considered affiliating with other unions, but ultimately decided that the best union for Lenox Hill staff nurses would be one devoted exclusively to representing them. Thus, the New York Professional Nurses Union (NYPNU) was born. The staff nurses then launched
a drive to decertify Local 1199, and the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ordered an election in December 1984. The options on the ballot included Local 1199, no union, and NYPNU. NYPNU won a majority of the votes cast and the NLRB certified the Union as the exclusive bargaining agent for staff nurses in early 1985. In 2000 Lenox Hill Hospital acquired Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital (MEETH), and the staff nurses at MEETH became members of NYPNU. Lenox Health Greenwich Village (LHGV) joined us in 2015. For the first time, the 2003 contract explicitly included per diems RNs. Since then, Case Managers, Nurse Practitioners and Lactation Specialists have also joined NYPNU. The inclusion of all of these additional members has added to our strength. At times, NYPNU has assisted staff nurses at other hospitals in creating independent unions, including nurses at Physician's Hospital in Queens, at St. Barnabas Hospital in New Jersey and at the Kansas University Hospital in Kansas. NYPNU’s successful history provides the foundation for our future achievements. While some of the faces may change over the years, our members’ strength, dedication and solidarity remain the same. Welcome to LHH/MEETH, and welcome to your new union!
