On Monday, January 12th, nearly 15,000 nurses walked off the job at some of New York City’s largest hospitals after contract negotiations failed to reach an agreement. The strike, the largest in the city’s history, involves Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West, Montefiore Medical Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian.
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) highlighted the need for better staffing, higher pay, and stronger safety protections. NYSNA President Nancy Hagans pointed out that the hospitals are trying to “undo the safe staffing standards we won for our patients” in the previous strike and nurses also raised concerns about increasing workplace violence, urging stronger safety protections.
Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency ahead of the strike, warning that the walkout “could jeopardize the lives of thousands of New Yorkers and patients.” Hospitals have mobilized contingency plans, including arranging travel nurses, accelerating patient discharges, and coordinating transfers to unaffected facilities. The State Department of Health instructed hospitals not directly impacted by the strike to prepare for incoming patients.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani emphasized the city’s readiness, noting, “No New Yorker should have to fear losing access to health care — and no nurse should be asked to accept less pay, fewer benefits or less dignity for doing lifesaving work.”
Hospital executives criticized the strike as potentially disruptive. Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian jointly described the walkout as “reckless” and warned that abandoning patients could strain medical operations. Nevertheless, officials stressed that hospitals would remain open and continue providing care.
This strike echoes a 2023 walkout that lasted three days, during which hospitals agreed to hire additional staff and establish minimum staffing ratios. Nurses have stated that ongoing threats to those agreements and insufficient compensation necessitated renewed action to protect both patient safety and worker conditions.
