The largest nursing strike in New York City’s history came to a close on Saturday, February 21, after an announcement that a new three-year contract was approved and ratified at NewYork – Presbyterian, according to a press release from the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA).
Approximately 15,000 New York City nurses from three major hospital systems participated in the strike, which began on January 12, 2026.
“This is a proud moment for our union,” said NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, in the press release. “15,000 NYSNA nurses went out on strike, and finally all 15,000 will be returning to the bedside.”
The union reported earlier in the week that its members at Montefiore and Mount Sinai approved new contracts, but nurses at NewYork – Presbyterian rejected the deal before coming to an agreement over the weekend, in which 93% of nurses at the institution voted yes, and 7% voted no.
Dania Munoz, DNP, NP, RN, and Darla Joiner, RN, of Mount Sinai Hospital previously spoke with Cancer Nursing Today about their experiences on the picket line, bargaining updates and ongoing negotiations, and the core issues at the heart of the strike.
Several of those key terms were secured by the new contact and outlined in the NYSNA press release, including increased protections for healthcare benefits and against workplace violence, enforceable standards for safer staffing levels, salary increases, and artificial intelligence safeguards.
“We are so happy with the wins we achieved, and now the fight to enforce these contracts and hold our employers accountable begins,” President Hagans said. “NYSNA nurses showed what it means to advocate for patients, and this moment will go down in history as a win for our communities.”
In a nursing update posted to their website, NewYork – Presbyterian announced that the newly ratified contract “reflects our tremendous respect for our nurses” and highlighted that all hospitals and emergency rooms across their healthcare system are “open and accepting patients.”
Read more from this conversation here.