New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders joined striking nurses in freezing temperatures Tuesday as the action entered a second week. Nearly 15,000 nurses launched the largest nursing strike in New York City’s history, demanding higher wages, fully funded benefits, an increase in staff to manage patients, and better workplace protections for hospital workers who’ve faced violence on the job. Nurses have accused six private New York hospitals, including Mount Sinai, of refusing to negotiate a fair contract. Democracy Now! was there. This is New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaking from the picket lines.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani: “When we see a strike, people forget that that is not where workers want to be. A strike is an act of last resort. What workers want is to be back at work. So, what this will mean is making that possible. So we call on every side to come back to that negotiating table, have a swift and urgent resolution, and to know that no matter what day it is, we will be here, we will be standing with you, and we will be saying the exact same thing. Thank you so much.”