NYC Nurses Launch Historic Strike Over Staffing, Wages, and Safety
Approximately 15,000 to 16,000 nurses across five major New York City hospitals initiated a strike on Monday, marking the largest nurses' strike in the city's history. The walkout commenced at 6 a.m. at Mount Sinai Hospital and an hour later at other affected facilities, after contract negotiations between the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and hospital managements failed to reach an agreement.
The primary points of contention include staffing levels, wage increases, healthcare benefits, and workplace safety.
Strike Details and Scope
The strike involves nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and impacts:
- Mount Sinai Hospital (including its Morningside and West campuses)
- Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx
- NewYork-Presbyterian in Manhattan
Nurses had authorized the strike last month, following the expiration of their previous contract on December 31.
Core Demands and Disagreements
NYSNA's demands are multifaceted, aiming to address critical concerns for their members:
- Pay increases: Union demands have been cited by some hospital officials as high as nearly 40% wage increases.
- Safe staffing levels: The union argues hospitals are reluctant to commit to ensuring manageable workloads, which is crucial for patient care and nurse well-being.
- Full healthcare coverage and pensions: NYSNA states hospitals are threatening to reduce existing health benefits.
- Enhanced workplace protections against violence: Citing recent incidents, nurses seek better safety measures.
- Limitations on hospitals' use of artificial intelligence.
Hospital managements have characterized some union demands as "reckless" and financially unsustainable. Montefiore, for instance, cited a total cost of $3.6 billion for NYSNA's proposals. NewYork-Presbyterian reported proposing significant wage increases and enhanced benefits, while Mount Sinai stated the union proceeded with the strike despite refusing to compromise on "extreme economic demands."
Hospital Preparedness and Mitigations
The affected hospitals implemented several measures to mitigate disruptions during the strike:
- Hiring temporary nurses: Mount Sinai reported securing 1,400 qualified nurses.
- Conducting preparatory drills.
- Assuring patients that appointments would be maintained, particularly at Montefiore Medical Center.
- Advising patients not to delay seeking emergency medical care, as emergency rooms remain operational.
Hospital officials also stated their preparedness for a potentially indefinite strike. NewYork-Presbyterian accused the union of staging the strike to "create disruption." Despite this, hospital representatives noted efforts to improve staffing, reporting a reduction in nursing job vacancy rates over the past three years.
Political Response and Engagement
New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on the Friday preceding the strike, urging both sides to reach a deal to prevent an outcome she stated "could jeopardize the lives of thousands of New Yorkers and patients." Governor Hochul later signed executive orders to ensure State Department of Health staff would be present at impacted hospitals.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined picketing nurses, stating that nurses' value is "not negotiable." Attorney General Letitia James also expressed concerns, noting that healthcare workers are "stretched to their limits" and workplace violence is increasing.
Context and Previous Agreements
This strike follows tentative settlements announced by NYSNA in the preceding week, which successfully averted strikes at four other New York City area hospitals. These included three Northwell Health hospitals, Brooklyn Hospital Center, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, and BronxCare Health System.
A similar, shorter nursing strike occurred in 2023 at Mount Sinai and Montefiore. That strike concluded with an agreement on a 19% pay raise over three years and promises of staffing improvements. However, disagreement persists between the union and hospitals regarding the extent of progress made on these previous staffing guarantees. The union contends that hospitals are retracting previous commitments, citing ongoing issues like "hallway patients" at Montefiore, despite the hospital reporting a 35% reduction in the time from emergency admission to a clinical unit bed.
Patient Impact and Advisories
The strike occurs during an active flu season and has the potential to lead to patient transfers, procedure cancellations, and ambulance diversions.
Hospital officials and NYSNA leaders advised patients to seek updates from their healthcare providers but reiterated that hospitals would remain open and care would continue.
One reported incident involved a striking nurse being denied access to a Montefiore Weiler Hospital pharmacy for prescriptions due to health insurance requirements. A Montefiore spokesperson stated that striking nurses could request home delivery for prescriptions and visit inpatient family members with proper documentation.