New York City Nurses Go On Strike After Failed Contract Negotiations

Topline

More than 7,000 nurses from two New York City hospitals went on strike Monday morning, after their union, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), failed to reach an agreement with the two hospitals Sunday in disputes over working conditions, salaries and staffing policies as a “tripledemic” of Covid-19, flu and RSV have increased hospitalizations in the city.

More than 7,000 nurses from two New York City hospitals went on strike Monday.

Key Facts

Collective-bargaining discussions at the Upper East Side’s Mount Sinai Medical Center and the Bronx-based Montefiore Medical Center fell through Sunday after nurse contracts expired on December 31, the union said Monday in its announcement of a strike, which will last until an agreement is reached.

The union stressed adequate staffing levels, improved wages, and healthcare and retirement packages as its chief concerns in the negotiations.

Montefiore said in a statement Monday morning it had offered nurses a “19.1% compounded wage increase,” or increasing wages by a fixed percentage, in addition to creating 170 new nursing positions before talks fell apart.

Mount Sinai administrators told the New York Times that union representatives walked out of negotiations at 1 a.m. Monday, adding the hospital is “prepared to minimize disruption.”

Mayor Eric Adams suggested in a statement Sunday that “our system will be prepared to meet the challenges” in response to the strike, adding New York residents are encouraged to call 911 only for emergencies and should be “prepared to seek an alternate facility in case their preferred hospital is impacted.”

Both the hospitals and the nurses’ union have called for arbitration from Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) in a future contract negotiation, while the union urged sick New Yorkers to “not delay getting medical care, regardless of whether we are on strike.”

Key Background

Union members representing 12 of the city’s largest hospitals began voting on a possible strike last month, according to CBS, to combat a nurse staffing crisis. The union reached tentative agreements with other hospitals during a 10-day period before the union said it would strike, including New York-Presbyterian, Maimonides Medical Center, Richmond University Medical Center, Flushing Hospital Medical Center, BronxCare and the Brooklyn Hospital Center.

Crucial Quote

NYSNA president Nancy Hagans said some hospitals, including Montefiore, are “so overcrowded that patients are admitted in beds in the hallway instead of hospital rooms” and have forced nurses to “work without enough staff.”

Surprising Fact

A strike by New York City nurses follows a strike started by nurses in the United Kingdom last month, representing the first protest by workers of the National Health Service in its 74-year history, according to the Associated Press. Strikes, which have called for better wages and improved staffing, have continued since they began on December 15, though government officials said Monday it would be meeting with union heads.

Tangent

Hospitalizations from Covid-19, the flu and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) increased sharply over the holidays, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, resulting in some New York City-based hospitals becoming overcrowded. The New York Times noted the “tripledemic” of the three viruses also included a sharp increase in Covid-19 hospitalizations.