Why is NYC facing its largest nurses' strike?

Around 15,000 nurses walked off the job at three of New York City’s largest private hospital systems on Monday, January 12, launching the largest nurses’ strike in the city’s history.

The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) called the strike over staffing and safety. Earlier, nurses had failed negotiations with Mount Sinai, Montefiore Bronx, and New York-Presbyterian.

According to the union, the central issues are not only wages but critical concerns over patient and nurse safety.

Nurses demand enforceable staffing ratios to address chronic understaffing, which they argue leads to burnout and compromises patient care.

They are also seeking stronger workplace violence protections and fully funded benefits.

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans stated, “Unfortunately, greedy hospital executives have decided to put profits above safe patient care.”

The nurses are also joined by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.

The mayor also echoes the disparity between executive pay and struggles nurses endure, noting that hospital CEOs received multimillion-dollar compensation last year while nurses fight for “the pay and health benefits they deserve.”

Due to the nurses’ strike, the hospitals have declared a state of emergency, discharged some patients, cancelled elective surgeries, and hired over 1,000 temporary agency nurses.

A Mount Sinai spokesperson stated that the union refused to move from “extreme economic demands,” but the hospitals are prepared to maintain operations.