New York City nurses who walked off the job are set to return to the bargaining table with hospital administrators Thursday, as the city’s biggest nursing strike in decades enters its fourth day.
The New York State Nurses Association said its bargaining members will meet with NewYork-Presbyterian late Thursday. Additional sessions with other affected hospitals, including Mount Sinai and Montefiore, are expected on Friday, though the union said some facilities have not yet agreed to meet.
What the strike involves and who is affected
The opposing sides have not met since Sunday, the day before roughly 15,000 unionized nurses walked off the job. Each medical center is negotiating independently with the union, and not every hospital in the three health care systems is part of the strike.
Hospitals have hired thousands of temporary nurses to keep emergency rooms and other services operating during the walkout.
What nurses say they want
The nurses say they are seeking to protect their health care benefits and secure contract provisions that address staffing levels. They also want stronger protections and procedures to reduce workplace violence.
At a union rally Thursday, Mount Sinai nurse Sheryl Ostroff described repeated incidents of violence from patients and said nurses want hospitals to take more responsibility for worker safety.
What hospitals are saying about costs
Hospital leaders argue the union is seeking pay increases they describe as unrealistic and unaffordable. Mount Sinai has said the union’s proposals would raise its nurses’ average annual salary from roughly $162,000 to nearly $250,000 in three years, while Montefiore has said the proposals would raise averages to about $220,000.
The union dismissed those figures as “outlandish math,” but declined to provide alternative calculations.
NewYork-Presbyterian said Thursday it remains committed to continued bargaining for a contract it described as fair and reasonable, while also citing the financial pressures facing health care.
Rally draws elected officials and broader labor support
Union leaders held a rally Thursday outside Mount Sinai’s Morningside campus alongside elected officials and members of other major city labor unions. The union said Mount Sinai Morningside is among the facilities that had not yet agreed to resume talks.
Another Mount Sinai Morningside nurse, Simone Way, said nurses have warned for years about staffing issues and that it has become increasingly difficult to provide the level of care patients deserve.
Mount Sinai CEO cites alleged harassment of nurses who kept working
Mount Sinai Health System CEO Brendan Carr said in a video released Thursday that some unionized nurses who chose to work instead of joining the picket line have faced harassment and intimidation.
The union, which filed an unfair labor practice charge against Mount Sinai related to the termination of three nurses on the eve of the strike, did not immediately respond to the CEO’s comments.
Sources:
Associated Press – “NYC nurses on strike resume negotiations with hospitals on 4th day”
Associated Press – “Thousands of nurses go on strike at several major New York City hospitals”
