Ms. McCarthy, who obtained a law degree in the 1990s to aid contract negotiations, led a six-day nurse strike at Lenox Hill Hospital in Manhattan that helped lead to a contract agreement.
“She was a working nurse her whole life, so she knew the issues, she knew the problems. She was able to get it done at the negotiation table … she was a great speaker and could inspire people,” Kathleen Flynn, who co-founded the union with Ms. McCarthy, told Newsday.
