KEY POINTS
- Most of the 15,000 nurses striking at New York City hospitals agreed on tentative contracts with two major systems.
- Agreements include wage increases, health benefit protections and workplace safety commitments.
- Remaining nurses at another hospital continue striking as negotiations proceed.
A majority of the nurses who have been on strike at major New York City hospitals since January 12 have announced tentative agreements with their employers. The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) said roughly 10,500 of the 15,000 striking nurses will vote on new three-year contracts this week.
The walkouts have affected private hospital systems including Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian. Nurses have protested over wages, staffing levels, health benefits and workplace safety.
Under the tentative deals with Montefiore and Mount Sinai, nurses would receive a roughly 12% pay increase spread over three years. Contracts also aim to protect existing health coverage without additional out-of-pocket costs.
The agreements incorporate commitments to improve safe staffing and protect nurses from workplace violence. Provisions also include policies addressing the use of artificial intelligence in hospitals, according to union statements.
Ratification votes among union members are set to take place from Wednesday through Friday. If the agreements are approved, nurses could return to work as early as Saturday.
The strike, which lasted over four weeks, strained hospital operations and prompted New York Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency, allowing out-of-state and foreign healthcare workers to provide temporary support.
Despite progress with two systems, nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian have not yet reached an agreement and continue their walkout. Hospital officials say they accepted a comprehensive proposal that includes similar wage and benefit terms, but the union maintains no deal is finalized there.
The ongoing strike has highlighted broader concerns about staffing and working conditions at large private hospitals in New York. Unions and nursing advocates have cited large patient loads and workplace safety issues as core reasons for the extended negotiations.
If ratified, the tentative contracts would offer nurses protections aimed at enhancing patient care while improving job conditions. Hospital executives have expressed relief at reaching terms with many striking staff and said they look forward to restoring normal operations.
The outcome at NewYork-Presbyterian and further talks with that system will remain central to fully ending the city’s longest recent nurses strike.
