Thousands of Nurses Go on Strike Amidst Negotiation Failures

Thousands of nurses in New York City began the largest nurses’ strike in the city on Monday after negotiations failed to reach a breakthrough in disputes between the nurses’ union and three major hospital systems.

According to the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), around 15,000 nurses at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Morningside and West, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian walked off the job.

"Unfortunately, greedy hospital executives have decided to put profits above safe patient care and force nurses out on strike when we would rather be at the bedsides of our patients. Hospital management refuses to address our most important issues -- patient and nurse safety," Nancy Hagans, NYSNA's president, said in a statement early Monday.

In 2023, a similar strike broke out, lasting three days, which forced medical centers to transfer patients and deploy ambulances. The three-day strike resulted in a 19% pay increase for workers over the course of three years at Mount Sinai and Montefiore.

The walkout involves private, non-profit hospitals not run by the city. NYSNA stated it is demanding an agreement that includes pay increases, improving safe staffing levels, full health care coverage and pensions, workplace protections against violence, and a reduction in artificial intelligence use.

In response, both Mount Sinai and Montefiore have pushed back, deeming them as “extreme economic” and “reckless” demands.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D), who campaigned on a pro-worker platform, made an appearance on Monday while visiting nurses on the New York-Presbyterian picket line.

"There is no shortage of wealth in the health care industry," Mamdani 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."

On Friday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency as tensions rose, urging both parties “to stay at the table and get a deal done.” Hochul added that strikes "could jeopardize the lives of thousands of New Yorkers and patients, as the city’s facing a severe flu season.