The largest nurses strike in New York City history is winding down at four hospitals, though about 4,200 nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian remain on strike.
Nurses at Montefiore, Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai Morningside and West ratified new three-year contracts in votes held Feb. 9-11, according to a Feb. 11 news release from the New York State Nurses Association. The agreements cover about 10,500 nurses across the two health systems.
Nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital ratified their contract by 87%, nurses at Mount Sinai Morningside and West by 96%, and nurses at Montefiore by 86%, the union said.
Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian voted to reject their tentative agreement and mediator’s proposal and continue what the union has described as an unfair labor practice strike.
The ratified agreements include enforceable safe staffing standards, wage increases of more than 12% over three years, workplace violence protections, maintained health benefits and new safeguards related to artificial intelligence, according to NYSNA.
“Nurses set out to improve patient care because NYSNA nurses believe that every patient is a VIP,” NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, said in the release. “Our contracts ensure that our hospitals are safer places — through increased staffing, workplace violence protections and more.”
Nurses began striking Jan. 12. Under the ratified agreements, nurses at Montefiore and Mount Sinai are returning to work, with the final nurses expected back by Feb. 14.
In a message to staff shared with Becker’s, Mount Sinai Health System CEO Brendan Carr, MD, said the immediate priority is restoring operations.
“Our short-term focus is on ensuring that we can rapidly return to normal operations,” Dr. Carr said.
Becker’s has reached out to Montefiore and will update this story if a comment is received.
The strike at NewYork-Presbyterian continues. In a Feb. 11 statement shared with Becker’s, the health system said it was disappointed that nurses did not ratify the mediators’ proposal, which it said included 4% annual wage increases over three years, preserved the pension plan, maintained health benefits and added 65 staff positions over three years.
“We believe the proposal, which includes compromises, is fair and reasonable and reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role that they play,” the statement said.
The system said it remains willing to honor the proposal for reconsideration.
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