Nurses march through Midtown Manhattan to the office of Gov. Hochul | Screengrab Facebook
NEW YORK — New York City entered its 22nd consecutive day of the largest nurses’ strike in its history on Monday, with nearly 15,000 nurses still off the job across Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork‑Presbyterian. Negotiators met again over the weekend at the Javits Center, but despite new proposals from both sides, a final agreement remains elusive.
Union Puts Forward “Revised, Streamlined” Proposals
NYSNA said it submitted a new package to address the core issues that triggered the walkout: safe staffing, workplace violence protections, and wage increases to help retain experienced nurses.
In a verified statement, the union said:
“We streamlined and revised our proposals in an effort to bring hospital executives back to the table to negotiate in good faith and settle fair contracts as quickly as possible to get nurses back to work to care for New York City.”
— NYSNA statement
The union emphasized that its updated plan includes “no takeaways” on staffing accountability and maintains complete protection of nurses’ health benefits. NYSNA also reiterated that wage increases are essential to stop the exodus of veteran nurses from understaffed units.
Management Says Union Demands Remain Too High
Hospital executives, however, say the union’s wage proposals remain far beyond what the systems can sustain, especially as safety‑net hospitals face federal funding cuts.
In a joint verified statement, the three hospital systems said:
“We made a fair, reasonable and responsible economic proposal that provides annual wage increases and continues generous healthcare and pension benefits, under an economic structure that works for all of the parties and the safety‑net hospitals that are tied to our economic terms.”
— Joint statement from Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork‑Presbyterian
Management added that they are still “assessing the rest of the union’s proposals so that we can respond with a comprehensive settlement offer in order to end the strike and bring our nurses back.”
Key Sticking Points
- Wage Increases
Management says NYSNA is seeking wage hikes of roughly 25% at NewYork‑Presbyterian.
At Mount Sinai, executives say the union initially proposed raising average nurse pay to nearly $250,000 before benefits.
NYSNA argues that competitive wages are necessary to recruit and retain staff amid chronic shortages.
- Safe Staffing Ratios
Nurses insist that unsafe staffing is the crisis driving the strike. The union says its revised proposal strengthens accountability without concessions. - Workplace Violence Protections
NYSNA continues to push for stronger safeguards, citing rising incidents across city hospitals.
Broader Tensions Surface
On Monday, NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, also raised alarms about Brooklyn Hospital Center, saying nurses there have gone three months without healthcare and pension payments:
“While NYSNA nurses who care for our Brooklyn communities are losing their healthcare, executives are getting paid millions.”
— Nancy Hagans, RN, NYSNA President
With whistles, bells, clappers, and several noise implements, hundreds of striking nurses marched through Midtown Manhattan to Grand Central Terminal, then moved together more than a dozen blocks to Gov. Hochul’s Manhattan office at 55th Street and Third Avenue. The action was organized to pressure the governor to intervene more frequently in the stalled negotiations.
They believe the governor has not shown sufficient support for their demands on staffing, safety, and benefits. They want her to pressure hospital executives to reach a fair agreement. They also object to the state’s authorization of traveling nurses, which hospitals have spent more than $100 million on during the strike, accoriding to Pix11.
Both sides are scheduled to continue talks this week, with pressure mounting from city officials and patients as the strike enters its fourth week. Despite hardened positions, the exchange of revised proposals suggests negotiations remain active, but a resolution remains uncertain.
What’the March Looked Like
Reports describe a “sea of red”—nurses wearing union colors, carrying signs, chanting, and blowing whistles. The crowd filled the plaza in front of the governor’s office and spilled across the street. Nurses criticized Hochul for extending the emergency order that allowed hospitals to hire out-of-state temporary nurses, which they said weakened their bargaining leverage.
