The largest nurses’ strike in New York City history is underway after negotiators for five major hospitals and the state nurses union I couldn’t come to an agreement to a new contract before Monday’s deadline.
The New York State Nurses Association said nearly 15,000 nurses are now leaving their jobs at five private hospitals, including Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West and NewYork-Presbyterian in Manhattan, and Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx.
NYSNA said Mount Sinai nurses began the strike at 6 a.m., while nurses at other hospitals began protesting an hour later.
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in anticipation of the strike, fearing it could jeopardize intensive care for thousands of patients in the city.
Yuki Iwamura / AP 
Montefiore said she was preparing for a strike that would last several weeks.
“NYSNA leaders continue to double down on their irresponsible $3.6 billion demands, including pay increases of nearly 40 percent, and their troubling proposals, such as requiring that a nurse not be fired if found impaired by drugs or alcohol on the job. We remain steadfast in our commitment to providing safe and transparent care, no matter how long the strike lasts,” said Joe Solmonese, senior vice president of NYSNA. Montefiore.
A Mount Sinai spokesperson said, “Unfortunately, NYSNA has decided to continue its strike while refusing to abandon its extreme economic demands, which we cannot accept, but we are ready, with 1,400 skilled and specialized nurses, and ready to continue providing safe patient care for as long as this strike lasts.” »
However, some nurses showed up for work despite the strike. Mount Sinai said 20% of people attended Monday.
A statement from NewYork-Presbyterian said: “Although NYSNA has told nurses to step away from the bedside, we remain focused on our patients and their care. This strike is designed to create disruption, but we have taken the necessary steps to ensure our patients continue to receive the care they have come to trust us… We are prepared to continue to negotiate a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the essential role they play, and also recognizes the difficult realities of today’s health care environment… We have proposed significant pay increases that keep our nurses among the highest paid in the city, enhancements to their outstanding benefits funded by employer and new measures that reflect our shared commitment to staff and workplace safety. However, good faith negotiations require compromise on both sides.
Mamdani joins the picket line
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined protesters outside NewYork-Presbyterian in Washington Heights.
“In every one of our city’s darkest times, nurses have shown up for work. Their value is non-negotiable and cannot be debated.” Mamdani said. “They come forward and all they ask for in return is the dignity, respect, and fair pay and treatment they deserve. They should settle for nothing less.”
Mamdani issued a similar statement the day before the attack on X.
“This city can and must ensure continuity of care. The FDNY, emergency management, public health system and all of my senior leaders are working tirelessly to ensure that nurses’ demands for dignity can be heard and care is still received,” the mayor said.
Mamdani urged both sides to meet at the negotiating table.
Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images 
“They need to negotiate in good faith and come to a mutually satisfactory agreement that allows the nurses who work in this city to live there,” he said.
Hochul also said she wants a deal to be reached as quickly as possible.
Why are nurses on strike?
Both parties negotiated all weekendbut failed to reach an agreement.
NYSNA accused Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian of prioritizing profits over the safety of patient care. The union said the city’s wealthiest hospital systems refuse to compromise on issues such as salary increases, safe staffing levels, comprehensive health care coverage, pensions and workplace protections against violence.
“Healthcare workers are being pushed to their limits, and as workplace violence in hospitals increases, nurses are just asking for the basics,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said at the news conference with Mamdani.
Cecilia Barreto, a registered nurse protesting outside Mount Sinai West, said the strike was a last resort.
“I’ve been here two years and I’ve built a really close bond with the nurses here, and I know there are nurses who have battled cancer and depend on their health care. So we need to make sure that the health care that we receive remains intact because their lives depend on it,” Barreto said.
“Instead of ensuring health care for nurses, these wealthy hospitals are pushing to cut health benefits for nurses who put their own health on the line to care for New Yorkers,” NYSNA President Nancy Hagans said Saturday.
Yuki Iwamura / AP 
An earlier statement from Montefiore called some of the requests “reckless and irresponsible.” All the hospitals involved described the strike as “reckless” in a joint statement, accusing the nurses of abandoning their patients.
“NYSNA leadership chose to abandon patients in their time of need, but Montefiore Medical Center, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian will not. Their decision to abandon our patients can only be described as reckless,” the hospitals said.
Some area hospitals were able to reach an agreement with NYSNA, including all Northwell Health facilities in Nassau County, while others have previously withdrawn their strike notice.
What the strike means for patients
Governor Hochul signed executive orders last week to ensure the state Department of Health has staff at affected hospitals for the duration of the New York City nurses’ strike, ensuring patient safety and continuity of care.
Montefiore said emergency rooms will remain open.
Hospital officials said no one should delay treatment or reschedule appointments, but patients should be attentive to any direct updates from their health care providers.
The NYSNA also said patients should continue to seek treatment, with leaders at a news conference Sunday saying seeking treatment did not cross a strike line.
Ultimately, for patients, hospitals will remain open and care will continue during the strike.
A few family members of patients are worried as the strike continues Monday evening.
Nurses cannot collect prescriptions at Montefiore Hospital
Video shows a nurse being denied access to Montefiore Weiler Hospital while trying to collect prescriptions.
The nurse said the employees’ health insurance was through Montefiore and they could only pick up their medications at a Montefiore pharmacy.
“Additionally, many nurses live in the Bronx and their families receive their care at Montefiore. If their family goes to the emergency room or is admitted, they say we can’t visit them,” the nurse said in a statement.
The woman in the video tells the security guard that she was given a contract to receive her medication only through this pharmacy.
The guard says they should have arranged to collect the drugs beforehand, as they knew the strike was happening on Monday.
A Montefiore spokesperson said striking nurses can request to have their prescriptions delivered directly to their homes.
“NYSNA nurses may attend all scheduled medical appointments at the medical center during the strike, as well as visit hospitalized family members, provided they can provide appropriate documentation,” a statement said.
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