Mayor and Senator Rally with Striking Nurses in Manhattan
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and United States Senator Bernie Sanders rallied alongside striking nurses in Manhattan on Tuesday, marking the ninth day of what has become the largest healthcare strike the city has witnessed in decades. The demonstration took place outside Mount Sinai West on the Upper West Side, where a vocal crowd of nurses gathered to demand action from hospital management.
Political Leaders Demand Negotiations Resume
The two democratic socialist figures addressed the assembled nurses, urging hospital executives to return to the bargaining table to resolve the contract dispute that prompted approximately 15,000 nurses to walk off the job last week. Senator Sanders, the long-serving Vermont senator who hails from Brooklyn, criticised what he described as corporate greed within the healthcare industry.
"The people of this country are sick and tired of the greed in this health care industry," Sanders declared, highlighting the multimillion-dollar salaries of CEOs at the three hospital systems affected by the strike.
Mayor Mamdani echoed these sentiments, emphasising the need for nurses to be able to live in the city where they work. "Now is your time of need, when we can assure that this is a city you don't just work in, but a city you can also live in," he told the rally.
Stalemate in Contract Talks
The New York State Nurses Association has held one bargaining session with each of the three impacted hospital systems—Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian—since the strike began on January 12th. However, these hours-long meetings have yielded little progress, and no further talks are scheduled for this week.
Hospital administrators have stated they will follow the guidance of contract mediators regarding when to meet with union representatives again. Each affected hospital is conducting negotiations with the union independently.
Key Issues in the Dispute
The hospitals have reported that the union is proposing pay raises amounting to a 25% salary increase over three years. They argue this request is unreasonable, noting their nurses are already among the highest paid in New York City.
NewYork-Presbyterian released a statement on Tuesday, asserting that "NYSNA’s demands ignore the economic realities of healthcare in New York City and the country," citing federal cuts to Medicaid and rising overall costs.
From the nurses' perspective, preserving healthcare benefits is a critical concern. Nicole Rodriguez, a nurse at Mount Sinai West who spoke at Tuesday's rally, shared that she has an autoimmune disease that frequently causes illness, which she then passes to her child. The union claims hospitals are seeking to reduce nurse benefits, though hospitals counter they have proposed maintaining current employer-funded benefits, which they say exceed what most private employees receive.
Hospital Operations Continue
Despite the walkout, hospitals report their medical operations are running normally. They have brought in thousands of temporary nurses to fill shifts and made financial commitments to extend their employment.
Brendan Carr, CEO of Mount Sinai, stated in a message to staff on Monday, "Everyone who has come to work—including many who have gone above and beyond to support the operational response—is helping to save lives."
The strike continues as both sides remain at an impasse, with political figures now adding their voices to calls for a resolution that addresses nurses' concerns while acknowledging the financial pressures facing healthcare institutions.
