NEW YORK (WABC) — The historic nurses’ strike has gained the support of other labor unions as its reached a tenth day.
On Tuesday, Sen. Bernie Sanders and Mayor Zohran Mamdani brought boxes of doughnuts to striking nurses outside Mount Sinai West, encouraging the union and the three hospital systems to get back to the bargaining table and to make a deal.
A similar strike three years ago lasted just three days.
Nurses say they have no plans on getting off the picket line until a fair contract is on the table, even in the brutal cold.
“Nurses do not want to be out on the street. They want to be in there, taking care of their patients,” said Patricia Kane, RN, Exec. Director of NYSNA.
The hospitals are hiring freelance nurses, known as “travel nurses,” and management claims essential operations have continued.
However, some nurses say that the use of travel nurses may not be sustainable over a longer period if the strike continues.
“I definitely think they’re going to see a decline in the amount of nurses that are readily available to care for the patients in New York City,” said travel nurse Renard Walker.
Unionized nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian, Mount Sinai, and Montefiore are asking for higher pay, an increase in staff to manage patients, fully funded benefits and better workplace protections against violence for nurses.
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