A nurse Cindy Mendez wearing a protective mask holds a syringe with a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, at NYC Health + Hospitals Harlem Hospital in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., February 25, 2021. REUTERS/Jeenah Moon
(New York, New York) – City hospitals after last-minute contract negotiations collapsed, marking the largest nurses strike in the city’s history and setting off a high-stakes confrontation over staffing, pay, benefits, and workplace safety.
The walkout involves nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) at Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, NewYork-Presbyterian facilities in Manhattan, and Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx.
Nurses at Mount Sinai began striking at 6 a.m., with picketing expanding to the other hospitals an hour later. Montefiore officials say they are preparing for the strike to last multiple weeks.
Emergency Declared as Talks Break Down
With negotiations failing to produce a deal by the deadline, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency, warning that the strike could jeopardize critical care for thousands of patients.
“I continue to urge both sides to remain at the table and reach an agreement as soon as possible,” Hochul said, adding that the state has positioned Department of Health staff at affected hospitals to ensure continuity of care.
Hospital systems have spent weeks preparing contingency plans, including hiring hundreds of travel nurses, reserving hotel rooms, canceling elective procedures, accelerating patient discharges, and transferring some high-acuity patients to facilities not impacted by the strike.
Hospitals Push Back on Union Demands
In statements Monday, hospital officials accused NYSNA of making what they called “extreme” or “reckless” economic demands.
A Mount Sinai spokesperson said the system is “ready with 1,400 qualified and specialized nurses” and prepared to provide safe care for the duration of the strike. NewYork-Presbyterian echoed that message, saying it remains focused on patient care and is prepared to keep negotiating a “fair and reasonable” contract while navigating “the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment.”
Montefiore, which serves one of the city’s most vulnerable patient populations, previously described some union demands as “reckless and irresponsible.”
Union: Profits Over Patients
NYSNA leaders say striking became unavoidable after hospitals refused to compromise on minimum staffing ratios, wage increases, full health coverage, pensions, and protections against workplace violence.
“Wealthy hospital systems are putting profits over safe patient care,” said NYSNA President Nancy Hagans. “Instead of guaranteeing health care for nurses, they are pushing to cut benefits for the very workers who put their own health on the line to care for New Yorkers.”
The union argues hospitals are attempting to weaken staffing protections won during a 2023 strike, when nurses secured enforceable minimum ratios and sizable pay raises. Nurses say chronic understaffing has returned, leaving them stretched thin and increasing burnout and safety risks for patients and staff alike.
Mayor Joins Picket Line
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined striking nurses outside NewYork-Presbyterian in Washington Heights, throwing his support behind the walkout.
“In every one of our city’s darkest periods, nurses showed up to work,” Mamdani said. “Their value is not negotiable, and their worth is not up for debate. All they are asking for is dignity, respect, and fair pay and treatment.”
The mayor said city agencies — including Emergency Management, FDNY, the Health Department, and the public hospital system — are coordinating closely to ensure care continues during the strike, particularly during flu season. He urged both sides to bargain in good faith and reach a deal that allows nurses to live and work in the city.
What Patients Should Know
Despite the strike, hospitals say emergency rooms remain open and patients should not delay urgent or necessary care. State officials emphasized that hospitals will continue operating, and NYSNA leaders stressed that seeking medical care does not constitute crossing a picket line.
Some nearby hospital systems, including Northwell Health facilities in Nassau County, reached agreements with NYSNA and are not participating in the strike.
As picket lines grow outside major medical centers, the dispute has become a flashpoint in a broader debate over the future of health care in New York — pitting hospital finances and executive compensation against nurses’ demands for safer staffing, security, and sustainable working conditions.
For now, both sides remain entrenched, and the strike shows no immediate signs of ending.
