NEW YORK (Civitas) — Nurses and two major hospital systems in New York City have reached a tentative agreement to end a nearly monthlong strike focused on issues including staffing, workplace safety, and health insurance.
The agreement, announced on Monday, is a result of negotiations between the nurses' union and the Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospital systems. Meanwhile, nurses continue to strike at NewYork Presbyterian.
The strike, which began on January 12, forced the hospitals to hire temporary staff to handle the demands of a particularly busy flu season.
Members of the union are set to vote on the new contracts this week, which will allow for their return to work after final approval.
The tentative agreement features a 12% pay raise over the contract's duration, alongside the maintenance of current health benefits without added costs.
Nancy Hagans, president of the New York State Nurses Association, stated, For four weeks, nearly 15,000 NYSNA members held the line in the cold and in the snow for safe patient care. Now, nurses at Montefiore and Mount Sinai systems are heading back to the bedside with our heads held high.
This three-year deal impacts around 10,500 of the 15,000 nurses on strike at some of New York City's largest nonprofit hospitals.
Beyond salary increases, the agreement introduces enhanced protections against workplace violence and limitations on the use of artificial intelligence, specifically benefitting transgender and immigrant nurses and patients, as highlighted by the union.
Nurses at Montefiore and Mount Sinai hospitals will commence voting on the new contract from Monday, and if ratified, they plan to return to work on Saturday.
NewYork-Presbyterian has also been negotiating over the weekend, agreeing to a proposal that addresses pay raises and staffing levels. However, the strike at this institution remains active.
Despite the disruptions caused by the strike, the hospitals assert that critical operations, including organ transplants and cardiac surgeries, have continued smoothly, although many scheduled procedures were canceled.
The nurses’ demands were predominantly centered on better staffing and benefits, amidst longstanding safety concerns exacerbated by recent violent incidents at hospitals.
In the face of the union's demands, hospital administrators claimed that the nurses' average salary already exceeds $160,000 annually, excluding benefits.
The standoff over pay and working conditions highlights ongoing tensions in the healthcare sector, pushing for more equitable treatment of hospital staff.
