Nurses at Upstate University Hospital get raises for their work throughout pandemic

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — After the pandemic, our frontline workers are now finally getting the pay raise they deserve at Upstate University Hospital.

Nearly 1,650 nurses who work at the hospital were told Thursday they'd be taking home thousands more a year for the work they do.

For their dedication and persistence in fighting COVID-19, nurses will now get up to a 7 percent raise. That will mean an extra $2-3,000 a year in pay built into their base salaries.

"It's just really great that they're giving us something extra to make us feel supported, especially onward because covid is not gone yet,” says Courtneybelle DesRoberts, a pediatric nurse.

While the pay increase is a bonus, nurses say it’s the recognition of their work the past year that’s meaningful.

"It's not why we do this, it's not about the money, it's about helping people. But the recognition for what everyone has had to endure in the past year has really been amazing,” says Michael Casey, a pediatric nurse.

The starting salary for nurses at Upstate has previously not changed in 15 years.