NEW YORK (WABC) — Nearly 15,000 union nurses across New York City remain on strike after no agreement was reached ahead of the Monday morning deadline for contract negotiations.
It is the largest nurses’ strike in the city’s history.
The last time the nurses walked was in 2023. That strike lasted for 3 days.
No breakthroughs are in sight with negotiations at a standstill between the New York State Nurses Association and three private hospitals systems: Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian.
The New York State Nurses Association contract expired on December 31.
Staffing levels are a top issue for striking nurses. The union says nurses are dealing with unmanageable workloads.
Nurses also want improved security in hospitals, better pay, and fully-funded benefits.
At 6 a.m. Monday, waves of nurses walked off the job — raising their voices in the dark, banging drums and blowing whistles.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood with striking nurses, calling their fight a battle for dignity, fairness and the future of the city’s health care system.
Mamdani said the strike is about who benefits from the health care system.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke at a protest by nurses at a number of hospitals in New York City.
“There is no shortage of wealth in the healthcare industry,” he said. “The CEO of Montefiore made more than $16 million last year. The CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian made $26 million. But too many nurses can’t make ends meet.”
He said nurses are not asking for millions, but for “pensions to be safeguarded, to be protected in their own workplace, and to receive the pay and health benefits they deserve.”
The mayor said the city is working to protect both patients and health care workers during the strike. He urged hospital executives and union leaders to return to the bargaining table immediately.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had already declared a state of emergency, saying that a strike “could jeopardize the lives of thousands of New Yorkers and patients.”
Montefiore Hospital argues the union is essentially demanding a 40% pay hike.
“They deserve a lot more than what they’re asking for,” Mount Sinai worker Eric Morales said.
Regardless of the strike, all hospitals stressed that they will remain open.
Hospitals like Mount Sinai said they have hired more than 1,000 agency nurses to help combat disruptions to care.
Mount Sinai said they had close to 20% of their nurses come to work on Monday, and said they expect more to do the same on Tuesday and in the coming days.
“The important piece to be mindful of is that we have spent lots of time bringing in additional support to make sure that responsible care of patients remains a priority,” said Dr. Brendan Carr.
Meanwhile, all three Northwell hospitals on Long Island have already reached an agreement to avert a strike.
Traveling nurses have been hired to help provide medical care. Montefiore meanwhile expects this could last several weeks.
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