Almost 16,000 nurses across several of New York City's largest private hospital networks are poised to begin a mass strike on Monday, following the collapse of protracted contract negotiations.
Core Issues Fueling the Walkout
The dispute, involving the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) and the Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and New York-Presbyterian health systems, centres on pay, health insurance coverage, and critically, dangerous levels of understaffing. Nurses are also demanding stronger protections against workplace violence and measures to restrict immigration enforcement agents from entering hospitals.
Contracts at 12 city hospitals expired at the end of 2025. While strikes were averted at many institutions serving low-income communities, the industrial action will now hit three of New York's most prominent healthcare providers. A rally was held on Friday outside the offices of the hospital negotiators, where nurses voiced their frustration. "We are going to continue to fight to get what we feel our patients and our communities deserve," said Michelle Gonzalez, a nurse at Montefiore Medical Center.
Safety Concerns and Political Pressure Mount
Tensions were further heightened by a violent incident last Thursday at New York-Presbyterian’s Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where NYPD officers fatally shot a man armed with a knife who had taken hostages. The event underscored nurses' concerns about safety in under-resourced environments.
The looming strike presents an immediate challenge for newly sworn-in Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was endorsed by NYSNA but has not yet publicly intervened. In contrast, New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state disaster emergency on Friday, citing an "immediate and critical need" to address hospital staffing shortages caused by the strike. She warned the action "could jeopardize the lives of thousands of New Yorkers."
Hospital Response and Stalled Talks
The hospitals have criticised the union's decision. In a joint statement, Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and New York-Presbyterian called the strike "reckless" and urged a return to negotiations. Brian Conway, a spokesperson for the hospital association, claimed the union's wage demands were "wildly divorced from economic reality."
However, a source close to the talks told Politico that a strike now appears "inevitable" due to little movement on core issues. The city's emergency management department stated it has contingency plans to ensure emergency services remain unaffected.
