Nurses at Montefiore are entering their fourth week of striking, and while they’re maintaining high spirits, many feel increasingly doubtful about reaching an agreement with management anytime soon.
The prolonged strike means these nurses are beginning to lose their access to free health insurance, pushing them to look into options like COBRA, Medicare, or Medicaid. Typically, they enjoy free medical care as part of their benefits, but that’s being cut off until they return to work.
Although management claims they’re not proposing permanent changes or cuts, the ongoing situation is leaving nurses worried about the safety of patients due to necessary staffing reductions that could lead to overcrowding in emergency rooms.
A few emergency department nurses shared their frustrations outside the Moses campus on February 3; despite the weather easing up, they haven’t seen any progress from management. Nelson Bertrand mentioned a feeling among the nurses that management might be stalling, possibly even planning to replace them permanently. “We keep running into a stone wall,” he noted.
Erica Perrotta, another nurse, expressed discontent at the thought of losing access to free medical care while picketing. As a single individual, she mentioned COBRA premiums could reach around $1,000 a month—imagine the burden on families, she added, shaking her head.
Interesting enough, even nurses with serious health issues have opted to not cross the picket line. They argue that patients should advocate for their own needs, pointing to several incidents of dangerous overcrowding in emergency rooms leading to verbal confrontations between patients and health care providers.
Specifically, Bertrand highlighted troublesome interactions in “enhanced observation” areas where vulnerable populations, such as those with mental health conditions or addictions, can find themselves crowded together. He recounted a situation where a nurse had to defend herself from a patient who hit her, only stopping when the patient tripped. Unfortunately, the nurse had to use her sick leave for recovery due to the incident.
Moreover, the overcrowding has created potentially dangerous conditions; patients are seen being treated in cramped spaces, which raises fire hazards. The chaos can lead to other patients urinating on those nearby and igniting altercations. There’s also a significant lack of privacy, as patients can end up discussing sensitive medical information openly, a situation Perrotta mentioned is almost a violation of privacy laws. “HIPAA does not exist,” she remarked, pointing out the lack of space.
Meanwhile, nurses with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) at Montefiore—and other hospitals like NewYork-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai—are still on strike. However, temporary nurses licensed in any state or even Canada are being brought in to fill their roles due to a temporary order issued by Governor Kathy Hochul. This order was first enacted on January 9, just ahead of the strike, and has been extended twice; these traveling nurses can reportedly earn up to $10,000 a week, according to union sources.
Until an agreement is reached, the nurses at Montefiore are preparing for the possibility of no immediate resolution regarding their medical needs. They hope hospital executives might understand their perspective but are feeling doubtful. “We don’t trust management,” Perrotta concluded.
