Overview
- Nearly 15,000 nurses at Mount Sinai, Montefiore and NewYork-Presbyterian walked out Jan. 12 over safe-staffing ratios, higher pay, fully funded benefits and stronger workplace-violence protections.
- Negotiations had not resumed as of Tuesday morning, with the union reporting no sessions scheduled and NewYork-Presbyterian saying it is available to bargain all week.
- Hospitals report operations are continuing with large numbers of agency and travel nurses, including more than 1,000 to 1,400 at Mount Sinai, and some procedures have been postponed with transfers and ambulance reroutes planned.
- Gov. Kathy Hochul’s disaster emergency, in effect through Feb. 8, authorizes out-of-state and Canadian clinicians and places Health Department staff at affected hospitals to monitor patient safety.
- Hospital leaders say union proposals are unaffordable, citing estimates such as $3.6 billion in added costs and nearly 40% wage hikes at Montefiore and $1.6 billion over three years at Mount Sinai, while the union argues 2023 staffing gains are being rolled back.