Nurses in New York City have resumed contract negotiations with a second major hospital network, as a significant strike over staffing and pay enters its fifth day.
Talks Resume Amid Stalemate
On Friday, 16 January 2026, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) confirmed its bargaining team had begun fresh meetings with officials from the three affected Mount Sinai hospitals. This followed a request from a federal mediator. The development marks a new phase in the industrial action, which began on Monday and involves roughly 15,000 nurses.
The union had met the previous night with management from NewYork-Presbyterian and a mediator. However, both sides reported that the hours-long discussion, which ran past midnight, yielded very little progress. The hospital stated the talks focused on staffing concerns but labelled the union's proposals as "unreasonable." Conversely, the union said it presented revised terms that hospital officials rejected without providing a counter-offer.
Key Players and Sticking Points
NewYork-Presbyterian issued a statement emphasising its commitment to bargaining in good faith and safe staffing, claiming it has "the best staffing ratios in the city." Meanwhile, negotiations have still not restarted with the third major provider impacted, Montefiore. The union had expected a meeting on Friday, but the hospital denied any such plans were in place.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans stated, "NYSNA nurses respect the mediators and are ready and willing to come to the bargaining table when they call. We urge hospital executives to do the same." Each medical centre is negotiating independently, and not every hospital within the three systems is affected by the walkout.
Hospital Operations and the Path Forward
The striking hospitals report that operations have continued smoothly after hiring thousands of temporary nurses to maintain emergency and critical services. Dr. Philip Ozuah, president of Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx, thanked staff in a letter, writing, "Another day, another miracle... our most complex and exacting mission continues…providing life-saving care."
Despite the renewed dialogue with Mount Sinai, there are currently no further plans for meetings between the union and NewYork-Presbyterian. The strike remains one of the largest of its kind in New York City in decades, with core disputes over staffing levels and contracts unresolved.
