Nurses Strike in New York City Hospitals
On Monday, nearly 15,000 nurses at several major New York City hospitals initiated a strike to address concerns related to pay, staffing, and security.
The New York Times referred to this strike as potentially the largest conflict in the city’s healthcare sector in decades. The nurses’ union stated that the goal was to compel hospitals to maintain adequate staffing levels, preventing nurses from being overwhelmed with patients. Additionally, they are seeking raises and enhanced safety measures to deal with incidents of violence and shootings within facilities.
This strike is impacting some of the leading private healthcare institutions in the city, including NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University, Montefiore Medical Center, and the primary campus of Mount Sinai Hospital, among others.
New York Governor Cathy Hochul signed an executive order on Friday, warning that the strike is likely to “impact healthcare delivery and threaten public health,” declaring it an “imminent disaster.”
Officials from the Greater New York Hospital Association mentioned that hospital leaders had been preparing for the strike by arranging for traveling nurses and other measures to keep facilities operational.
Elizabeth R. Wynn, an executive vice president with the association, noted that some hospitals are canceling weekend surgeries and speeding up patient discharges to minimize the number of patients present during the strike. Plans are also in motion to transfer infants from neonatal intensive care units to other hospitals.
The New York State Department of Health has advised unaffected hospitals to be ready to receive patients from those with striking staff.
This walkout follows a similar event three years ago when about 7,000 nurses at Mount Sinai and Montefiore protested due to chronic staffing difficulties. That strike lasted three days and concluded with hospitals agreeing to hire more nurses and enforce minimum staffing requirements.
Nurses currently on strike argue that hospitals are attempting to reverse the improvements they secured during the 2020 strike.
“Wealthy hospitals are trying to undo the safe staffing standards they fought for three years ago,” stated Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association.
Three years back, nurses managed to secure raises, with a nearly 20% hike in minimum wage over that period and starting salaries exceeding $100,000. According to reports, current conditions are perceived to be different, and hospitals now expect a “lean situation” moving forward.
“The healthcare system is under financial stress,” commented Kenneth E. Laske, president of the Greater New York Hospital Association. “The union’s demands are so unreasonable that we cannot meet them.”
Lucia Lee, a spokesperson for Mount Sinai, indicated that nurses at the hospital have an average salary of $162,000, a figure that the new salary requests would push to $275,000 over the next three years.
Union officials from the New York State Nursing Association claimed that Mount Sinai and other facilities have only offered an additional $4,500 per year. They also highlighted the substantial earnings of hospital executives; for instance, Dr. Stephen Corwin, president of NewYork-Presbyterian, reportedly received over $26 million in 2024, including severance pay and several bonuses from previous years. A spokesperson for the hospital declined to comment on his salary.
“Three of New York City’s wealthiest private hospitals—NewYork-Presbyterian, Montefiore, and Mount Sinai—are asserting they cannot afford fair contracts that ensure the safety of their nurses and patients,” Hagans noted. “They likely have ample resources to contend with their own workers.”
