On Saturday, nurses at the New York-Presbyterian hospital system approved a new contract, effectively ending a significant nursing strike that had lasted over a month. The strike initially began on January 12, involving more than 4,000 nurses within the privately run NewYork-Presbyterian system. In a strong show of solidarity, 93% of union members from the New York State Nurses Association voted to ratify the three-year contract, paving the way for their return to work in the coming week.
This agreement follows similar contracts achieved earlier this month by two other major hospital systems in the area—Montefiore and Mount Sinai—who also faced nurse walkouts. Union President Nancy Hagans expressed satisfaction with the outcomes of the negotiations, stating, "We are so happy with the wins we achieved, and now the fight to enforce these contracts and hold our employers accountable begins."
NewYork-Presbyterian hospital expressed eagerness for the nurses' return, emphasizing that the new contract “reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play as part of our exceptional care teams.” The tentative deal was reached shortly before the ratification votes took place on Friday and Saturday.
The newly approved contract includes several notable provisions, such as staffing improvements, raises exceeding 12% over the span of three years, and measures to safeguard against the use of artificial intelligence in nursing tasks. The strike overall involved approximately 15,000 nurses from Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian, although it only impacted select facilities within these systems and did not extend to city-run hospitals.
During the strike, the affected hospitals had to employ thousands of temporary nurses, transfer some patients, and cancel various procedures. While hospital management claimed that they were able to provide continuous care, which included complex surgeries, some patients and families reported that routine tasks took longer than usual, suggesting that the quality of care may have been compromised.
The striking nurses voiced concerns about unmanageable workloads and alleged that hospitals were attempting to erode health benefits. However, the hospitals contested these claims and characterized the union's demands as excessive. In other instances, nurses at certain hospitals within Mount Sinai and Montefiore had previously walked out earlier in 2023, but that strike ended quickly after only three days.
