NYC Hospital Nurses End 41-Day Strike, Return to Work

Over 4,000 nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals have returned to work after ending a 41-day strike. The nurses secured a new three-year contract with pay raises exceeding 12% and improved staffing conditions.

NEW YORK — Healthcare workers at a major New York hospital system have resumed their duties this Thursday, following the conclusion of a lengthy labor dispute that lasted more than six weeks.

Over 4,000 nursing staff members at NewYork-Presbyterian facilities walked off the job on January 12th as part of a broader labor action that also impacted two additional major private hospital networks in New York City — Montefiore and Mount Sinai.

While nursing staff at Montefiore and Mount Sinai concluded their work stoppage on February 11th after reaching agreements with the New York State Nurses Association, NewYork-Presbyterian nurses turned down that initial proposal and continued their protest. They finally voted to accept a new three-year agreement this past Saturday, bringing their 41-day work stoppage to an end.

The final agreement includes enhanced staffing protocols, wage increases exceeding 12% spread across three years, and protections regarding artificial intelligence implementation, the union reported.

According to union representatives, approximately 15,000 nursing professionals across the three hospital systems initially participated in the work stoppage. The action affected select facilities within each network but did not impact any city-operated medical centers.

Throughout the labor dispute, all three hospital systems — Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian — hired thousands of temporary nursing staff, relocated certain patients to other facilities, and postponed some medical procedures. Hospital administrators maintained they continued providing quality patient care, including complicated surgical operations. However, some patients and family members reported delays in basic care tasks.

The nursing staff cited overwhelming patient loads and alleged attempts by hospital management to reduce healthcare benefits as primary concerns. Hospital leadership disputed these assertions and characterized the union’s contract demands as unreasonable.

This wasn’t the first recent labor action at these facilities — nurses at certain Mount Sinai and Montefiore locations also conducted a brief three-day strike in 2023.