Nearly 15,000 nurses across some of New York City’s most prominent hospitals went on strike Monday, demanding better pay, stronger staffing ratios, and improved workplace safety. The action, organized by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), marks one of the largest labor showdowns in the city’s health care system in recent memory.
The strike has disrupted operations at hospitals including NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia, Montefiore Medical Center, and Mount Sinai Hospital’s main campus, along with other facilities in the Mount Sinai system.
Union Blasts Hospitals Over Staffing and Security
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans accused wealthy hospital systems of trying to undo staffing standards won during a previous strike in 2023. “Wealthy hospitals are trying to undo the safe staffing standards we won for our patients,” she said. Nurses are calling for legally enforced patient-to-nurse ratios and pay increases to match inflation and rising living costs.
Safety is also a major concern. Nurses cite increased violence, including incidents of assault and even shootings, as part of the growing dangers inside health care facilities. They’re demanding more security personnel and procedures to protect staff and patients alike.
Hospitals Push Back, Say Demands Are Unreasonable
Hospital leaders argue that the financial climate has shifted since the pandemic-era agreement, with tighter budgets and pressure on the entire system. “The health care system is under siege financially,” said Kenneth Raske of the Greater New York Hospital Association. “The demands of the union are so outrageous that there is no way they can concede.”
According to Mount Sinai, the average salary for a nurse already sits at $162,000 — a figure hospital administrators claim would soar to $275,000 if union demands were met. But union officials counter that hospital CEOs are raking in massive salaries, such as Dr. Steven Corwin of NewYork-Presbyterian, who was paid over $26 million in 2024.
Governor Declares State of Emergency as Strike Begins
Governor Kathy Hochul signed an executive order on Friday warning that the strike could threaten public health and declaring an imminent disaster. Hospitals have responded by canceling surgeries, speeding up discharges, and arranging patient transfers — even neonatal ICU babies — to avoid disruption during the walkout.
Travel nurses are being brought in to fill the gaps, but the New York Department of Health has told other hospitals to brace for patient overflow.
Hospitals Face Credibility Test After 2023 Strike
Three years ago, NYSNA led a successful strike that forced hospitals to hire more staff and implement minimum staffing requirements. Nurses now say hospital administrators are quietly backtracking on those promises — and that the new strike is about preserving what was already won.
This time, however, hospitals are warning of leaner times ahead and seem more willing to dig in. Whether that leads to a short standoff or a protracted labor war remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: nurses aren’t backing down.
“Nurses are standing up for what’s right,” Hagans said. “We’re fighting for our patients — and we’re not going away.”
The post 15,000 NYC Nurses Walk Off the Job in Major Strike Over Pay and Patient Safety appeared first on Real News Now.
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