NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.
Nurses were to start walking off the job at 6 a.m. at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.
The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.
The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and have stated they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.
The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.
The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union asserts that hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.
Nurses are also seeking better security measures after incidents such as a man barricading himself with a sharp object in a Brooklyn hospital, which ultimately led to police intervention.
Additionally, the union seeks to limit hospitals' use of artificial intelligence in their operations.
The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations claim they have been working to improve staffing levels but argue that the union’s demands are too costly.
Nurses had previously voted to authorize the strike last month. New York Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani have voiced their concerns over the possibility of the strike, urging both sides to negotiate a resolution that honors the nurses' contributions while keeping hospitals operational. Mayor Mamdani emphasized that the nurses' value is non-negotiable.
The last significant nursing strike in the city occurred three years ago, resulting in a deal that improved pay and staffing conditions, although the current situation suggests ongoing disagreements regarding the staffing guarantees made at that time.
