"End in Sight: NYC Nurses Reach Tentative Contracts After Month-Long Strike"
The longest and largest nurses strike in New York City history is finally coming to an end after nearly a month of picketing. Mount Sinai Hospital and Montefiore have reached tentative contract agreements with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), paving the way for nurses to return to work.
According to NYSNA, voting on the contracts will begin Monday afternoon at both hospital systems, with results expected by Wednesday. If ratified, nurses are expected to return to work by Saturday. The new agreements will run through 2028 and include significant salary boosts, improved staffing standards, and enhanced workplace safety measures.
The tentative deals mark a victory for NYSNA, which has been negotiating with the hospitals since January 12th when nearly 15,000 nurses walked off the job. The strike was sparked by concerns over understaffing, workload, and patient care. Hospital leaders had maintained that they could continue to provide high-quality care despite the strike, but patients have reported delays in surgeries and missed appointments.
The new contracts include a 12% salary boost over three years, which is lower than the 18% increase nurses won in their previous contracts. However, NYSNA officials say the tentative agreements represent a compromise between nurses' demands and hospital proposals. The deals also address staffing concerns, with commitments to reduce nurse-to-patient ratios in several areas of the hospitals.
Furthermore, the agreements include measures to improve workplace safety, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support nurses. Nurses have expressed concern over the rapid adoption of AI technology in hospitals, citing potential risks of errors and job displacement. The tentative deals specify that employees will be allowed to override patient care decisions supplied by AI or machine learning.
Nurses also won commitments to reduce violence in hospitals, including the installation of new weapons detectors at Montefiore and improved screening protocols at both hospital systems.
"Nurses have shown that when we fight, we win," said Pat Kane, NYSNA's executive director. "We're proud of our members' resilience and strength throughout this strike."
The resolution of the strike marks a significant milestone in the ongoing debate over healthcare staffing, technology adoption, and patient care in New York City hospitals.
The longest and largest nurses strike in New York City history is finally coming to an end after nearly a month of picketing. Mount Sinai Hospital and Montefiore have reached tentative contract agreements with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), paving the way for nurses to return to work.
According to NYSNA, voting on the contracts will begin Monday afternoon at both hospital systems, with results expected by Wednesday. If ratified, nurses are expected to return to work by Saturday. The new agreements will run through 2028 and include significant salary boosts, improved staffing standards, and enhanced workplace safety measures.
The tentative deals mark a victory for NYSNA, which has been negotiating with the hospitals since January 12th when nearly 15,000 nurses walked off the job. The strike was sparked by concerns over understaffing, workload, and patient care. Hospital leaders had maintained that they could continue to provide high-quality care despite the strike, but patients have reported delays in surgeries and missed appointments.
The new contracts include a 12% salary boost over three years, which is lower than the 18% increase nurses won in their previous contracts. However, NYSNA officials say the tentative agreements represent a compromise between nurses' demands and hospital proposals. The deals also address staffing concerns, with commitments to reduce nurse-to-patient ratios in several areas of the hospitals.
Furthermore, the agreements include measures to improve workplace safety, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to support nurses. Nurses have expressed concern over the rapid adoption of AI technology in hospitals, citing potential risks of errors and job displacement. The tentative deals specify that employees will be allowed to override patient care decisions supplied by AI or machine learning.
Nurses also won commitments to reduce violence in hospitals, including the installation of new weapons detectors at Montefiore and improved screening protocols at both hospital systems.
"Nurses have shown that when we fight, we win," said Pat Kane, NYSNA's executive director. "We're proud of our members' resilience and strength throughout this strike."
The resolution of the strike marks a significant milestone in the ongoing debate over healthcare staffing, technology adoption, and patient care in New York City hospitals.