Nurses in NYC Reach Tentative Agreement to End Strike
Nurses from two of New York City’s major hospital systems have come to a tentative agreement, effectively bringing an end to a nearly month-long strike. This strike focused on several critical issues, including staffing levels, workplace safety, and health insurance.
The announcement was made on Monday by the union representing the nurses, which includes both Montefiore and Mount Sinai systems. Meanwhile, nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian are still on strike.
The strike kicked off on January 12, which put hospitals in a tricky position, as they had to scramble to hire temporary nurses during a particularly severe flu season.
Members at Montefiore and Mount Sinai are set to vote this week on whether to ratify the agreement and resume their duties, according to the union.
The three-year contract is expected to impact about 10,500 of the nearly 15,000 nurses currently striking at some of the city’s largest nonprofit hospitals, which have thousands of beds available.
“For four weeks, nearly 15,000 NYSNA members stood in line in the cold and snow for safe patient care,” noted Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association. She added, “Nurses in the Montefiore and Mount Sinai systems are now returning to the bedside with their heads held high.”
The agreement reportedly includes the continuation of health benefits for nurses without any additional out-of-pocket costs. It also outlines a 12% pay increase over three years. Moreover, it aims to establish new protections against workplace violence, with specific measures for transgender and immigrant nurses and patients, as well as safeguards regarding the use of artificial intelligence.
Nurses at Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and Mount Sinai Morningside & West will begin voting today to ratify the contract, according to the union.
If this preliminary agreement gets the green light, the nurses are expected to return to work on Saturday. A spokeswoman for Montefiore opted not to comment further, only confirming that nurses would vote on the agreement Wednesday. Responses from the other two hospital systems were not immediately available.
