More than a month into a strike, more than 4,200 nurses at NewYork–Presbyterian remain off the job after voting down a tentative contract agreement.
Their fellow nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital and Montefiore Medical Center returned to work over the weekend after their union reached deals with hospital leadership.
But negotiations have not been as straightforward for nurses at NewYork–Presbyterian, who say they are continuing to fight for what they consider a fair contract.
What You Need To Know
More than 4,200 NewYork–Presbyterian nurses remain on strike after rejecting a tentative deal
Mount Sinai and Montefiore nurses returned to work after ratifying three-year contracts
The union says the new deals include safe staffing standards and raises of more than 12%
No timeline has been set for renewed talks at NewYork–Presbyterian
While nurses at Mount Sinai and Montefiore ended their strike and approved new contracts, nurses at NewYork–Presbyterian voted against the tentative agreement presented by mediators last week.
“We are happy for them because they got what they wanted in their contracts. I’m glad they were able to come back because we all love our jobs and don’t want to be walking out of our jobs, but the hospital management led by NewYork–Presbyterian management forced us out. They tried to portray us. We maintain our patients. The main reason we stand outside is that we have safe patient ratios so we can care for our patients safely,” said Cagatay Celik, a clinical nurse educator at NewYork–Presbyterian.
Hospital officials said the proposal rejected by nurses included wage increases, preserved the pension plan and maintained nurses’ health benefits.
“We believe the proposal, which includes compromises, is fair and reasonable and reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role that they play. As stated, this proposal was presented by the mediators, who are some of the most respected and experienced neutral negotiators, after months of bargaining,” the hospital said in a statement.
Over the weekend, nurses at Mount Sinai and Montefiore returned to work after nearly a month on strike, following ratification of a new three-year contract.
The New York State Nurses Association said agreements at Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Morningside and West, and Montefiore maintain safe staffing standards, protect health benefits and increase salaries by more than 12% over the life of the three-year contract.
“It’s definitely mixed emotions,” said Roy Permaul, a surgical ICU nurse at Mount Sinai. “We bonded and we stuck together. We come from different shifts, different parts of the city, and we all just bonded through this. It’s surreal we went thru this but we’re just happy to be back at work.”
There is no word on when negotiations between NewYork–Presbyterian and the union will resume.