More than 14,000 private-sector nurses are set to go on strike Monday morning at major hospitals throughout NYC, barring a stunning eleventh-hour deal with management, New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) representatives said on Sunday.
Nancy Hagans, RN, president of NYSNA, said on Jan. 11 that NYSNA nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital locations will strike at 6 a.m. on Jan. 12, followed by Montefiore and NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals at 7 a.m. Monday. Hagans said nurses will not walk out if management at the three locations meets the nurses’ demands on improving workplace safety and staffing standards—key items that have been sticking points throughout the negotiation process.
“As of right now, nearly 15,000 nurses are set to strike tomorrow,” she said Sunday. “Unfortunately, we have made very little progress at the bargaining table. Once again, our bosses made very little effort to meet and bargain.”
Hagans said management missed most of a meeting focused on negotiating on Jan. 10. The nurses and their bosses are in disagreement on patient and nurse safety. Hagans said wages are negotiable.
“Although we are willing to negotiate on salary, they have failed to deliver meaningful counterproposals and are still threatening healthcare cuts for frontline nurses,” she said, adding that NYSNA members are open to negotiating more until the clock strikes 6 a.m.
Strike talks began last year with nurses from 12 private hospitals negotiating for improvements and wage increases. Mutual agreements have already been met at several of those medical centers, Hagans said, leaving Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian in waiting.
Contract disputes were settled at other private hospitals, including some Northwell sites, by last week. Northwell/ Plainview Hospital, Syosset and Huntington nurses signed tentative agreements on new contracts on Jan. 9 that, the union says, protect safe patient care, averting a nurse strike on Long Island.
Key contract agreements include an approximate 5% annual wage increase each year of the contract, improved staffing standards, maintaining agreed-upon health benefits for nurses, and improved pension and retiree health at Plainview Hospital.
“Nurses at the hospitals that settled contracts will now vote to ratify their contracts,” Hagans said.
Patients should still go to the hospital
Meanwhile, management at Mount Sinai, Montefiore and NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals said they are prepared for a strike and have efforts in place to deliver care if nurses walk off the job.
“A strike will pose challenges for sure, but our institutions will do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions to the delivery of the safe, high-quality care we are known for,” the hospitals said in a joint statement. “We ask NYSNA leadership to reconsider their decision to strike. But if a strike occurs, we are ready to safely care for our patients whatever the duration.”
Joe Solmonese, senior vice president of strategic communications at Montefiore, added that NYSNA’s demands are “reckless and irresponsible,” zeroing in on their wage talks. He said the demands equal total $3.6 billion, including a nearly 40% wage increase.
“We are preparing for what we anticipate could be a multi-week strike, and are resolute in devoting whatever resources are necessary to safe and seamless care for our community,” Solmonese said.
Despite the staffing issues, patients should still go to the hospital if they need care, both management and NYSNA members said.
If a Jan. 12 strike occurs, it will likely be the largest nurse strike in city history. Yvonne Armstrong, president of SEIU1199, said the healthcare union “stands in solidarity” with NYSNA.
“SEIU1199 calls on hospital management to bargain in good faith with NYSNA, refrain from committing unfair labor practices, and sign fair contracts that honor nurses’ contributions,” she said in a statement. “It is vital that nurses’ voices are heard so they can continue to uphold the quality care that New Yorkers depend on.”
