Largest nurses strike in NYC history continues to impact major hospitals
Nurses continue to hold the picket line as the largest nurses' strike in New York City history is on its third day.
Nearly 15,000 nurses across three major hospitals are demanding better staffing levels, health care benefits and improvements to workplace safety. The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) accused three major hospital systems of refusing to compromise on the issues.
The strike is set to last longer than a similar strike from 2023, which lasted three days.
"I am so disgusted at how my hospital is disrespecting nurses," said nurse practitioner Janara DiLone-Florian. "They are trying to take away everything we won in the last strike."
The impacted hospitals are Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West and NewYork-Presbyterian in Manhattan, along with Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx.
"We will be here as long as it takes to fight for our patients. Our patients are our No. 1 priorities," said union president Nancy Hagans.
Nurses fight for protection from workplace violence
Nurse Phiona Hunnigan-McFarlane said she turned into a patient after being injured while working at a Montefiore hospital.
"While I was here at Moses, a patient punched me to the floor. I was out for six months from work," she said.
Montefiore responded to Wednesday's rally, saying the hospital is a safe space.
"Every day this week, we have provided seamless, compassionate care in a healing and safe environment. Our best-in-class security protocol includes widespread deployment of weapons detection capabilities, paying for round-the-clock armed members of the NYPD, well-trained internal security personnel, and issuing wearable panic buttons to our nurses."
Other concerns are about emergency overcrowding.
"In the EDs, the patients are like sardines," said Nurse Shaiju Kalathil.
"The patients in White Plains get private rooms, get millions of dollars invested in the physical plant, while our patients languish in emergency rooms for days at a time," said former union president Judy Sheridan Gonzalez.
Hospitals remain open with contingency plans
Gov. Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency before the strike to make sure hospitals were staffed.
Temporary travel nurses were flown from all over the country to fill in, although some nurses on strike said that those employees are unable to give the same level of care.
Hospital officials' latest statements on the strike
The latest statements from leaders are from Tuesday evening.
A Mount Sinai spokesperson said:
"We are incredibly grateful to the Mount Sinai nurses who have continued to come to work and not participate in NYSNA's strike. We had 20% of our scheduled nurses come to work on Monday and put our patients first, and so far today, we have seen similar numbers, hundreds of nurses who have joined their teams at the bedside. It is a credit to our entire system that we were prepared to withstand this disruption and continue to be there for New Yorkers in need."
"Unfortunately, NYSNA has yet to provide an offer that could be considered reasonable, instead sticking to proposals that would cost $1.6 billion over three years just at The Mount Sinai Hospital, raising average nurse pay to close to $250,000, which is before factoring in the contributions we make to benefits.
"We have now committed significant additional funds to maintain our qualified and specialized agency nurses so that we can continue to be prepared to provide safe patient care at least through next week as the strike continues."
A Montefiore spokesperson said the union's demands are troubling.
"NYSNA's leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job. We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last," Montefiore Senior Vice President Joe Solmonese said.
NewYork-Presbyterian officials said they are ready to keep negotiating with wage increases.
"While NYSNA has told nurses to walk away from the bedside, we remain focused on our patients and their care. This strike is designed to create disruption, but we have taken the necessary steps so our patients continue to receive the care they trust us to provide," NewYork-Presbyterian said in a statement. "We're ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today's healthcare environment...We have proposed significant wage increases that keep our nurses among the highest paid in the city, enhancements to their outstanding employer-funded benefits and new measures that reflect our shared commitment to safe staffing and workplace safety. However, good faith bargaining requires compromise from both sides."