As the largest nurses’ strike in city history entered its 14th day Sunday, the union representing the nurses said negotiations yielded a major win.
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) said nurses cleared a major hurdle Sunday after Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian agreed to maintain existing health benefits.
“NYSNA nurses fought and cleared a major hurdle on one of the key sticking points in bargaining—maintaining health benefits for frontline nurses and our families,” the union said in a statement. “Working through mediators, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian agreed to maintain the current high-quality NYSNA Plan A health coverage without cuts.”
The union said hospitals and NYSNA have not yet reached final tentative contract agreements.
“Through the mediator, NYSNA and hospital leadership have agreed on a process wherein the Trustees of the Health Benefits Plan will form a committee to work on potential savings and programs in our nurses’ healthcare plan,” NewYork-Presbyterian said in a statement.
Spectrum News NY1 has also reached out to Mount Sinai comment.
Nearly 15,000 nurses have been on strike since Jan. 12.
Due to a winter storm advisory, the union said nurses will temporarily suspend picketing.
“Due to the winter storm advisory, striking nurses will suspend our picket lines Sunday and Monday and restart picketing on Tuesday,” the statement said.
On Saturday, Gov. Kathy Hochul extended an executive order allowing qualified outside personnel to continue working to keep hospitals operating during the strike through Feb. 2.