The New York State Nurses Association will affiliate with National Nurses United, expanding the ranks of the country’s largest union and professional association of registered nurses to about 225,000 nationwide.

Ninety-four percent of NYSNA delegates voted in favor of the affiliation Thursday at the union’s annual convention, spokeswoman Kristi Barnes said. The meeting unites elected leaders from every NYSNA-represented facility in the state for educational sessions and to decide the strategic direction of the union.

The affiliation brings NYSNA into the national labor movement for the first time, Barnes said. The union boasts nearly 42,000 members across New York state. National Nurses United has more than 180,000 members nationwide and is an AFL-CIO affiliate.

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