This browser does not support the Video element.
Nurses strike to resume negotiations with hospitals
NYC hospitals are expected back at the negotiation table.
NEW YORK - Striking nurses and New York City hospital systems are back to the bargaining table Tuesday as the city’s largest nurses strike in history reaches day 16.
The renewed talks raise hopes for progress after more than two weeks of stalled negotiations.
What we know:
The New York State Nurses Association said over the weekend that nurses at Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian reached tentative agreements with hospital management to maintain current health care coverage, addressing one of the union’s central concerns.
Hospital officials have maintained that they never planned to cut benefits.
Dig deeper:
Despite that development, nurses were back on the picket lines Monday as several major issues remain unresolved, including pay, staffing levels and workplace safety protections.
Why are NYC nurses still on strike?
The strike began early last month when an estimated 15,000 nurses walked off the job at hospitals within the Mount Sinai, Montefiore and NewYork-Presbyterian systems, making it the largest nurses strike in New York City history.
Union leaders say nurses are seeking safer staffing ratios, higher wages, fully funded benefits and stronger protections against workplace violence. Hospital systems have described the union’s demands as unrealistic but say they remain committed to bargaining in good faith.
Nurses of the New York State Nurses Association attend a press conference on the Covid-19 public health crisis engulfing Jacobi Medical Center and other New York health hospital facilities on January 13, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS …
Throughout the 16-day strike, hospitals have said patient care has continued uninterrupted. Mount Sinai says it has relied on about 1,400 traveling nurses to maintain operations, while Montefiore and NewYork-Presbyterian have also brought in temporary staff. All three systems say hospitals and emergency departments have remained open.
The strike has drawn increasing political attention. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Sen. Bernie Sanders previously joined nurses on the picket lines, calling on hospital leaders and union officials to reach a fair and swift agreement.
With negotiations resuming on day 16, it remains unclear whether a broader deal can be reached to bring the strike to an end.
The Source: This report is based on information from the NYSNA and New York-Presbyterian.