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As the NYSNA strike began on Jan. 12, Montefiore nurses filled the sidewalk along East 210th Street to rally for better staffing ratios and stronger workplace protections.Photo by Emily Swanson<\/p>\n
Hundreds of nurses sang, played instruments, danced and cheered along East 210th St. and Bainbridge Ave. at the Moses Campus, which includes the emergency department and children\u2019s hospital, as patients streamed in and out and drivers waved and honked their horns in solidarity.<\/p>\n
Many nurses carried handmade signs that took a humorous approach to their demands, such as, \u201cThese hospitals are more toxic than my ex\u201d and \u201cThink we\u2019ll give up easily? Ask us how long we wait to pee!\u201d Along the Bainbridge Ave. side, a group of nurses played the song \u201cNo Scrubs\u201d by TLC and chanted, \u201cNo contract, no scrubs!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A statement on the hospital\u2019s website<\/a> said that despite the strike, people seeking care should keep their appointments and come to the facilities as usual. \u201cServices provided by Montefiore Medical Center will not be impacted by the nurses\u2019 strike. All patient appointments remain scheduled unless you hear directly from your provider.\u201d<\/p>\n In response to the strike, Gov. Kathy Hochul declared<\/a> an state disaster in Bronx and New York counties and the surrounding area, calling on government agencies to assist in maintaining public health and safety.\u00a0<\/p>\n Despite its nonprofit status, Montefiore President and CEO Dr. Philip Ozuah received $16.6 million in compensation in 2023, according to its 990 form<\/a>\u00a0obtained by the Bronx Times. In response, one of the striking nurses held a sign displaying Ozuah\u2019s photo and salary that read, \u201cWe need more nurses, less millionaire exec$.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Treating people like sardines\u2019\u00a0 The nurses\u2019 strike also comes amid a major nationwide workforce shortage. Across the country, nursing school enrollment is not keeping up with demand and they have a high turnover rate due to burnout caused by insufficient staffing, according to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n By 2030, New York state is estimated to face a shortage of 40,000 nurses, according to the Department of Health<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Though the current strike affects a record number of nurses, other medical professionals at city-run and private hospitals in recent years have walked off the job, or nearly did, and made similar contract demands. Montefiore nurses went on a three-day strike<\/a> in 2023, and H+H doctors narrowly averted a strike<\/a> in early 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n A Montefiore spokesperson said the current union has made \u201creckless demands,\u201d including a 40% pay increase and \u201cdemanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last,\u201d said Joe Solmonese, senior vice president of strategic communications, in a statement sent to the Bronx Times.\u00a0<\/p>\n However, nurses said management has publicly mischaracterized their demands. Increasing wages is actually a low priority compared to improving patient care, said Shaija Kalathil, case manager at Montefiore for 17 years.\u00a0<\/p>\n He said that the union did ask for a 30% pay increase \u2014 10% over each of the next three years \u2014 but proposed that figure as the highest ask, knowing it would be reduced during negotiations.\u00a0<\/p>\n On salary, management\u2019s characterization of the union\u2019s demand is \u201ca straight-up lie,\u201d Kalathil said. \u201cWe\u2019re only asking for really reasonable asks from management,\u201d given the high cost of living in the New York City area, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Another priority for the union is increasing the space available in the emergency department. Montefiore operates four adult emergency rooms and one for children and its emergency department is the busiest in the state, with 275,000 adult visitors each year.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIn the ED, they\u2019re treating people like sardines there. If you look in there, you cannot even walk around it,\u201d Kalathil said. He said he hopes the union and management will return to bargaining soon but expressed a bleak outlook thus far.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHere, we are struggling,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are struggling for the community, we are struggling for the families, we are struggling for ourselves.\u201d\n<\/p>\n Johnaira Dilon-Florian, a Montefiore nurse practicioner for 10 years and member of NYSNA\u2019s bargaining committee, said that the union\u2019s top priorities of improving staffing ratios, adding space in emergency rooms and protecting against workplace violence are all intertwined.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, when you have a situation where you have the ED\u2019s overcrowded, people get frustrated, and they tend to lash out at the nurses,\u201d Dilone-Florian said.\u00a0<\/p>\n She added that maintaining health benefits and pensions is key to protecting the nursing workforce. A NYSNA spokesperson said that while Montefiore nurses\u2019 healthcare benefits with no monthly premium are currently secure, management at Mount Sinai and New York-Presbyterian have not agreed to the union\u2019s asks in terms of benefits.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dilone-Florian said the strike is ultimately aimed at ensuring that Montefiore staff can provide top-quality service.\u00a0\n<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to make sure that the care that other people get around the city, that Bronx patients receive that same care,\u201d she said.\n<\/p>\n Reach Emily Swanson at\u00a0eswanson@schnepsmedia.com<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0(646) 717-0015<\/a>. For more coverage, subscribe to our\u00a0newsletter<\/a>\u00a0and follow us on\u00a0Twitter<\/a>,\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n \t
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Montefiore nurses take to the picket lines on the first day of the strike, which also includes two prominent Manhattan hospitals, Mount Sinai and New York-Presbyterian. Photo by Emily Swanson<\/p>\n
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During the strike, patients are encouraged to visit Montefiore as usual, and hospital management has said service will not be affected. Photo by Emily Swanson\n<\/p>\n