After a month-long strike, more than 10,000 nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association returned to work on Feb. 14. However, about 4,000 nurses remained on the picket line as negotiations continued at one major hospital.
The strike began on Jan. 12, when nurses walked out of hospitals across the city. This would soon become the largest and longest nurses strike in New York City history, according to NYSNA.
In early 2023 when nurses last walked off, the strike only lasted three days.
The recent strike was driven by concerns over understaffing, patient safety and workplace protections.
Nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital and Montefiore voted to ratify their new contracts on Feb. 11, with 87% and 86% approval ratings, respectively. These agreements were reached after tentative deals were announced beginning Feb. 9.
Under the new three-year contract, nurses are expected to receive annual 4% raises, health benefits, workplace protections and more.
Montefiore’s agreement also includes plans to get rid of so-called “hallway beds” and reduce crowding in emergency rooms.
“The past several weeks have been challenging, emotional, frustrating, and exhausting in different ways for all of us,” Brendan Carr, CEO of Mount Sinai Health System, said in a message to employees. “Moving forward after a strike can bring a wide range of feelings: relief, uncertainty, anxiety or all of the above.”
Despite the developments, nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian have rejected the same proposal and have chosen to continue striking. They argued that the proposed deal did not include strong enough protections against layoffs and failed to put enough new nurses into understaffed units.
Beth Loudin, a nurse and bargaining unit president at the hospital, told Gothamist 3,099 votes were against the deal and 867 were in favor of it.
“The voting has concluded, and we are disappointed that our nurses did not ratify the mediators’ proposal, which we had accepted on Feb. 8, and NYSNA leadership endorsed,” NewYork-Presbyterian said in a statement.
Some nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian objected to the vote and said the union pressured them into approving a contract that the local negotiating team had already rejected.
Cagatay Celik, a nurse educator at NewYork-Presbyterian, told Gothamist he felt “betrayed” by union leadership.
Hospitals spent over $100 million in hiring thousands of travel nurses to keep running during the strike, allowing management to continue negotiations.
While many nurses head back to work, nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian continue to call for management to return to negotiations, with many hoping a deal can be reached to ensure that the hospital protects their staff and provide New Yorkers with the health care they need.
