New York City nurses entered their fifth week of striking Monday as the stalemate between the union and hospital management showed signs of thawing.
The strike began Jan. 12 and has grown into the largest nurses strike in New York City history.
Nearly 15,000 nurses from Mount Sinai, NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore have been on picket lines, pushing for safer staffing ratios, improved health care benefits and protections against workplace violence.
What You Need To Know
Nearly 15,000 nurses have been on strike at five New York City hospitals for 29 days
Union leaders report progress on staffing ratios, particularly at Montefiore Medical Center
Mount Sinai CEO says negotiations remain slow and sides are still divided over pay
Nurses plan to continue bargaining until contracts that ensure patient and nurse safety are finalized
Negotiations continued over the weekend, although picket lines were suspended due to the extreme cold.
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) said progress has been made on key issues, particularly improved staffing at Montefiore Medical Center.
“We continue to do hard work at the bargaining table, fighting for our patients and our communities,” NYSNA president Nancy Hagans said in a statement Sunday afternoon. “While our employers continue to use patients as bargaining chips, we know that patients deserve better and will continue to fight for the safe staffing standards that our patients deserve.”
Mount Sinai CEO Brendan Carr called the negotiations “frustratingly slow” on Friday, and said the sides remain divided over pay raises.
In a note to staff, Carr said his team responded to the union’s proposals on wages and other issues last week and is waiting for their response.
Hospitals say patient care has largely continued, with the help of thousands of temporary travel nurses hired before the strike.
City and state officials say they have not seen widespread disruptions, though hospitals have canceled some elective procedures and adjusted patient volumes.