Thousands of nurses across several of New York City's largest hospitals are on the brink of a major strike, set to begin on Monday if a last-minute deal is not reached with management. The potential walkout, involving close to 15,000 staff, would be the largest of its kind in the city's history and comes during a severe flu season, raising significant concerns about patient care.
Staffing and Safety at the Heart of the Dispute
The core issues mirror those of a three-day strike in 2023, with safe staffing levels remaining the primary flashpoint. Nurses argue that major medical centres, including Mount Sinai, Montefiore Medical Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, are failing to uphold commitments to manageable workloads made in previous agreements.
This year, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) has added new demands to the bargaining table. The union is seeking stronger workplace security measures and guardrails on hospitals' use of artificial intelligence. These safety concerns have been highlighted by recent incidents, including a gunman entering Mount Sinai in November.
"My hospital tries to cut corners on staffing every day, and then they try to fight historic gains we made three years ago," said Sophie Boland, a paediatric intensive care nurse at NewYork-Presbyterian.
Hospitals Prepare as Negotiations Stall
As of Sunday, little progress had been reported at the bargaining table. Nancy Hagans, president of NYSNA, confirmed that a vast majority of union nurses had authorised the strike last month. The hospitals involved, all private and non-profit, have labelled the strike threat "reckless" and vowed to minimise disruptions.
In preparation, Mount Sinai has hired over 1,000 temporary nurses and conducted drills. NewYork-Presbyterian has also arranged temporary cover but warned some patients may need to be moved. Montefiore has assured patients that appointments will be kept.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul has urged both sides to remain in talks, expressing worry about the strike's impact on care. Union president Hagans has similarly stressed that patients should not delay seeking necessary treatment.
Echoes of the 2023 Walkout and Broken Promises
The situation strongly recalls the 2023 strike at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, which led to postponed surgeries, ambulance diversions, and patient transfers. That dispute ended with a three-year deal featuring 19% raises and staffing improvements, including extra pay for working short-handed.
Nurses now allege the hospitals are retreating from those guarantees. Michelle Gonzalez, an intensive care nurse at Montefiore, stated that despite a 2023 agreement to reduce "hallway patients" in emergency rooms, nurses still scramble to treat them three years later.
The hospitals counter that they have made significant strides, greatly reducing nursing vacancy rates and adding hundreds of positions since 2023. Montefiore claims a 35% reduction in the time it takes to move emergency patients to a proper bed.
With the Monday deadline looming and both sides entrenched, the historic scale of the potential strike threatens major operational upheaval at some of New York's most critical healthcare institutions.
