Home / Health / NY Nurses End 41-Day Strike for New Contract
NY Nurses End 41-Day Strike for New Contract
27 Feb
Summary
- Nurses returned to work Thursday after a 41-day strike.
- The new contract includes staffing improvements and raises.
- AI safeguards were included in the three-year agreement.
Nurses at the NewYork-Presbyterian hospital system returned to their duties on Thursday, concluding a prolonged 41-day strike. This action followed the ratification of a new three-year contract by over 4,000 nurses on the preceding Saturday. The strike, which began on January 12, was a component of wider labor disputes impacting major private hospital systems in New York City.
Nurses at Montefiore and Mount Sinai also engaged in strikes but reached agreements earlier. The NewYork-Presbyterian nurses' contract boasts substantial improvements, including pay raises exceeding 12% over the contract's duration and critical enhancements to nurse staffing ratios. A notable inclusion in the agreement is the establishment of safeguards governing the implementation of artificial intelligence in patient care.
During the extensive strike, the hospital system, alongside others, utilized thousands of temporary nurses and managed patient care through transfers and procedure cancellations. The union had voiced concerns over unmanageable workloads and potential erosion of health benefits, claims the hospitals contested. This lengthy work stoppage highlights ongoing tensions and negotiations in the healthcare sector.
