Nearly 15,000 nurses walked off the job Monday at three major New York City hospitals launching what union officials describe as the largest nurses’ strike in the city’s history after contract negotiations broke down ahead of a deadline.
Mount Sinai Hospital, Montefiore Hospital, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital are all impacted. Nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) are demanding higher wages, stronger enforcement of minimum staffing levels, and enhanced workplace safety measures amid rising incidents of violence in hospitals.
Union leaders argue that chronic understaffing has left nurses with excessive patient loads, affecting care and contributing to burnout. NYSNA President Nancy Hagans emphasized that hospitals are “pushing to cut health benefits for nurses who put their own health on the line.”
Hospital leaders counter that the union’s demands are financially unsustainable. In a joint statement, Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian described the strike as “reckless,” asserting that they are taking steps to ensure patient care continues, including hiring temporary nurses and adjusting services.
Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency ahead of the strike, warning that a prolonged walkout could threaten public health. The state Department of Health instructed unaffected hospitals to prepare to accept transferred patients, while officials emphasized that emergency services would continue uninterrupted.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani noted that city agencies were closely monitoring the strike, emphasizing that “no nurse should be asked to accept less pay, fewer benefits or less dignity for doing lifesaving work,” in a post on X.
Hospitals remain open during the strike, though some elective procedures have been postponed as negotiations continue.
