Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested into the new state-of-the-art Wynn Hospital. But has the same amount of investment been given to Mohawk Valley Health System employees?

A speak out was held Tuesday across the street from the new hospital, a facility that means the closure of two other hospitals in the area: St. Elizabeth’s and St. Luke’s.

Registered nurses at each hospital used to be represented by two different unions, but both will be represented by the New York State Nurses Association as of the date of the move to the new hospital.

Work is being done on a merger agreement for when staff all work at the Wynn Hospital.

“We want the nurses over on the other campus to keep the benefits that they bargained for. And more importantly, we want parody of those benefits to reflect with our current NYSNA members," registered nurse Gary Evans said.

Evans has worked for the Mohawk Valley Health System since 2000.

"I think when I speak, I echo a lot of the same concerns that my colleagues feel,” he said.

The New York State Nurses Association said the Mohawk Valley Health System is proposing cuts, and a few include a 5% cut to night differential pay and a cut to the pension contribution share.

The Mohawk Valley Health System responded with a statement.

“In July 2023, St. Luke’s and St. Elizabeth represented nurses voted to select one union (NYSNA or CWA) to represent the nurses at the Wynn Hospital. NYSNA was selected as the prevailing union. As part of the election criteria agreed to by all parties prior to the election, MVHS, CWA and NYSNA, the winning union’s current labor contract in effect would apply to the represented nurses at the Wynn Hospital and effects bargaining would take place to discuss the transition to the Wynn Hospital. We are extremely disappointed by this action from NYSNA today as we have been working very hard with them on a transition agreement to the Wynn Hospital. Since August, MVHS has participated collaboratively in more than 15 sessions to reach an agreement, with many issues resolved benefiting the nursing staff. There are no cuts to the nurses’ benefits or wages. We continue to bargain in good faith with the union on this transition plan, including differentials, and look forward to the opening of the Wynn Hospital on Sunday, October 29, 2023.”

Still, as negotiations continue, many staff members feel uneasy about the upcoming transition.

“I didn't want to be out here. None of us did. We want to be in there. We want to be preparing for the future and instead, we're stuck in the present. And as a result, we're out here making the community and everyone aware of the struggles that are going on behind the scenes,” Evans said.