NEW YORK – A significant nursing strike has concluded as nurses at a major New York hospital system have voted in favor of a new contract, ending over a month of disruption.
Over 4,000 nurses from the NewYork-Presbyterian system, a private healthcare network, began their strike on January 12. Following the recent vote, they are set to resume their duties in the upcoming week. The New York State Nurses Association, representing the nurses, announced that 93% of its members at NewYork-Presbyterian approved the three-year contract.
Earlier this month, two other prominent private hospital systems, Montefiore and Mount Sinai, resolved their own nursing strikes by reaching agreements with the same union.
“We are thrilled with the achievements we’ve made, and now begins the effort to enforce these contracts and ensure our employers are held accountable,” stated union President Nancy Hagans on Saturday.
NewYork-Presbyterian expressed its anticipation of the nurses’ return, highlighting that the new contract “demonstrates our respect for our nurses and acknowledges the vital role they play within our outstanding care teams.”
Both parties had indicated on Friday that a tentative agreement had been reached, which was subsequently ratified by union members through votes held on Friday and Saturday.
Provisions included staffing improvements, raises topping 12% over three years and safeguards on the use of artificial intelligence, according to the union.
The union has said the strike initially involved about 15,000 nurses overall at Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian. It affected only some facilities within the three systems and didn’t involve any city-run hospitals.
During the strike, Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian brought on thousands of temporary nurses, transferred some patients and canceled some procedures. The hospitals insisted they were smoothly delivering care, including complex surgeries. But some vulnerable patients and their families said some routine tasks took longer.
The strikers complained of unmanageable workloads and accused the hospitals of trying to chip away at health benefits. The hospitals contested those claims and said the union’s demands were exorbitant.
Nurses at some Mount Sinai and Montefiore hospitals also walked out in 2023. That strike ended in three days.
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