Thousands of Nurses Walk Out in NYC

Thousands of nurses across three New York City health systems have initiated a strike, with union leaders accusing management of showing "zero interest" in averting the action and failing to engage meaningfully with mediators. Nurses expressed deep offense that management would "rather use their billions to fight against their own nurses than settle a fair contract." This strike follows months of negotiations over new three-year contracts, with the prior agreements having expired on December 31.

The nurses' action is significantly larger than a 2023 strike at two of the same hospitals, which led to substantial improvements in nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. Previously, Montefiore and Mount Sinai were ordered by arbitrators to pay millions in penalties for understaffed shifts. Hospital officials contend that the union's demands are unreasonable and would cost billions, especially with anticipated federal health care cuts. They also state that nurse vacancy rates have decreased significantly over the past three years.

In response, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the state Department of Health would have staff on-site at all affected hospitals to ensure patient safety and continuity of care. She previously signed an executive order suspending certain health care licensure laws to facilitate the practice of licensed professionals in New York. Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is also closely monitoring the situation, emphasizing that neither New Yorkers should fear losing healthcare access nor nurses be asked to accept less for their life-saving work. Mount Sinai secured over 1,000 temporary nurses, and New York-Presbyterian spent more than $60 million on strike preparations, with hospitals collectively dedicating over $100 million to these measures.