Major NYC Hospital Strike Concludes After Month-Long Nursing Walkout

Over 4,000 nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian hospital system have voted to end their strike that began in January. The three-year contract includes staffing improvements, pay raises exceeding 12% over three years, and protections regarding artificial intelligence use.

A significant nursing strike affecting New York City hospitals has officially concluded after nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian approved their new employment agreement on Saturday, bringing an end to labor action that lasted more than a month.

The walkout began January 12th when over 4,000 nurses employed by the private NewYork-Presbyterian hospital network left their posts. These healthcare workers are scheduled to resume their duties in the upcoming week following the contract approval by the New York State Nurses Association, where 93% of union members voted in favor of the three-year agreement.

Earlier this month, nurses at two additional major private hospital networks – Montefiore and Mount Sinai – concluded their own labor disputes by reaching contract settlements with the identical union organization.

“We are so happy with the wins we achieved, and now the fight to enforce these contracts and hold our employers accountable begins,” union President Nancy Hagans said in a statement Saturday.

Hospital administrators at NewYork-Presbyterian expressed anticipation for their nursing staff’s return, stating the agreement “reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play as part of our exceptional care teams.”

Representatives from both the union and hospital management announced Friday they had achieved a preliminary agreement. Union membership conducted voting on the proposal Friday and Saturday.

The approved contract contains enhanced staffing measures, wage increases exceeding 12% across the three-year term, and protective measures concerning artificial intelligence implementation, the union reported.

According to union officials, the initial strike encompassed approximately 15,000 nursing professionals across the Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian systems. The work stoppage impacted select facilities within these three networks and did not include any municipally-operated hospitals.

Throughout the strike period, all three hospital systems – Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian – hired thousands of replacement nursing staff, relocated certain patients to other facilities, and postponed non-essential medical procedures. Hospital leadership maintained they continued providing quality patient care, including complicated surgical operations. However, some patients requiring additional assistance and their family members reported delays in basic care tasks.

The striking nurses cited overwhelming patient loads and alleged the hospitals were attempting to reduce health insurance benefits. Hospital administrators disputed these accusations and characterized the union’s contract demands as unreasonable.

Nursing staff at certain Mount Sinai and Montefiore locations previously conducted a work stoppage in 2023, which concluded after three days.