Nurses at two New York City hospitals go on strike

More than 7,000 nurses from two New York City hospitals went on strike on Monday morning amid failed bargaining for better contracts.

The New York State Nurses Association announced early in the morning that nurses at Mount Sinai Medical Center, on the Upper East Side, and Montefiore Medical Center, in the Bronx, will go on strike to demand fair working conditions, increased wages and health care and retirement security.

“After bargaining late into the night at Montefiore and Mount Sinai Hospital yesterday, no tentative agreements were reached,” the press release states. “Today, more than 7,000 nurses at two hospitals are on strike for fair contracts that improve patient care.”

Mario Cilento, the president of the New York State AFL-CIO, said nurses are forced to work in “unimaginable conditions,” including short staffing, which has left them no other option but to strike.

“The hospitals treatment of these nurses is proof that all their words of adulation for their healthcare heroes during the pandemic were hollow,” Cilento said in a statement. “It is time for the hospitals to treat these nurses fairly, with the dignity and respect they deserve, to ensure nurses can get back to serving their communities by providing superior care to their patients.”

“If you are sick, please do not delay getting medical care, regardless of whether we are on strike,” the statement added. “Patients should seek hospital care immediately if they need it. We would rather be the ones providing that care, but our bosses have pushed us to be out here instead.”

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) called for a binding arbitration Sunday so that the union and the hospitals can “swiftly reach a resolution.” Both hospitals were in support of an arbitration agreement so that the union may postpone their strike, but the union declined to do so.

“The New York State Department of Health will continue to enforce staffing requirements under the law at these hospitals to maintain the delivery of essential health care services to the community and protect patient health and safety,” Hochul said in a statement. “Likewise, the Health Department will continue to ensure that all providers are meeting the requirements of the law.”

The New York State Nurses Association said in a statement posted to Twitter that, “We welcome the Governor’s support for fair contracts that protect our patents and we will not give up on our fight to ensure that our nurses have enough nurses at the bedside.”

Both hospitals released statements saying that the union refused to accept a 19.1 percent compounded wage increase over three years. Montefiore Medical Center said the union “decided to walk away from the bedsides of their patients” when they announced the strike.

“We remain committed to seamless and compassionate care, recognizing that the union leadership’s decision will spark fear and uncertainty across our community,” Montefiore Medical Center’s statement added. “This is a sad day for New York City.”

“The union refused to accept the exact same offer of a 19.1 percent wage increase over three years that it agreed to at eight other hospitals, including Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West, and disregarded Governor Hochul’s proposal for binding arbitration to avoid a strike,” Mount Sinai Medical Center said in a press release.

Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), who represents a portion of the Bronx, joined the nurses on the picket line. He posted a video of him speaking to the nurses on strike and demanding that nurses receive fair working conditions.

“It is my honor to be with you, and to stand with you, and to fight with you,” he said in the video. “And it’s great to hear that most nurses have finally gotten their fair contract here in New York City, but we still have 7,000 as we speak without a fair contract.”

“If CEOs can double their pay, we can give our nurses a fair contract,” he captioned the post. “@MontefioreNYC and@MountSinaiNYC it’s time for you to step up and get a fair contract done TODAY!”