Majority of New York Nurses Reach Tentative Agreement with Hospitals

In a significant development, two-thirds of the nurses who recently walked out of major hospitals in New York City have reached preliminary agreements with their employers. This announcement was made by the union representing 15,000 striking nurses on Monday, indicating that the strike may come to an end this week.

The strike, which affected three major healthcare networks—Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian—resulted in staffing shortages and prompted New York Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency. This emergency declaration, effective from January 9, allowed out-of-state and foreign staff to fill in for the striking nurses.

Initially set to expire on Sunday, the state of emergency has been extended by Hochul until the end of Tuesday, ensuring continued support for the healthcare system during this critical time.

More than two-thirds of the striking nurses, approximately 10,500 out of 15,000 at Mount Sinai and Montefiore hospitals, are expected to vote on their new contracts from Wednesday to Friday. If ratified, these nurses could return to work as early as Saturday, according to the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), the union representing them.

As of Monday afternoon, NewYork-Presbyterian and its 4,200 striking nurses had not yet reached a tentative agreement, according to the union’s statements.

A spokesperson for Montefiore confirmed the existence of a tentative agreement but refrained from providing further details until it is ratified. Meanwhile, Mount Sinai hospitals have not responded to requests for comment.

NewYork-Presbyterian announced that it had accepted a comprehensive proposal presented to all parties early on Sunday. The proposal includes wage increases for all three hospitals, preservation of pension plans, maintenance of health benefits for nurses, and increased staffing levels.

NYSNA characterized the preliminary agreements with Mount Sinai and Montefiore as a “victory.” These agreements include a 12% salary increase over the duration of the three-year contract, continued health benefits for nurses, measures to combat workplace violence, and protections for immigrant and transgender patients and nurses.

The progress in New York City comes amid ongoing strikes by 31,000 nurses at the non-profit healthcare system Kaiser Permanente in California and Hawaii. As this strike entered its third week on Monday, an additional 3,000 lab and pharmacy workers joined the nurses, according to the unions representing them.

(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova, editing by Donna Bryson and Aurora Ellis)

Topics
New York

In a significant development, two-thirds of the nurses who recently walked out of major hospitals in New York City have reached preliminary agreements with their employers. This announcement was made by the union representing 15,000 striking nurses on Monday, indicating that the strike may come to an end this week.

The strike, which affected three major healthcare networks—Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian—resulted in staffing shortages and prompted New York Governor Kathy Hochul to declare a state of emergency. This emergency declaration, effective from January 9, allowed out-of-state and foreign staff to fill in for the striking nurses.

Initially set to expire on Sunday, the state of emergency has been extended by Hochul until the end of Tuesday, ensuring continued support for the healthcare system during this critical time.

More than two-thirds of the striking nurses, approximately 10,500 out of 15,000 at Mount Sinai and Montefiore hospitals, are expected to vote on their new contracts from Wednesday to Friday. If ratified, these nurses could return to work as early as Saturday, according to the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), the union representing them.

As of Monday afternoon, NewYork-Presbyterian and its 4,200 striking nurses had not yet reached a tentative agreement, according to the union’s statements.

A spokesperson for Montefiore confirmed the existence of a tentative agreement but refrained from providing further details until it is ratified. Meanwhile, Mount Sinai hospitals have not responded to requests for comment.

NewYork-Presbyterian announced that it had accepted a comprehensive proposal presented to all parties early on Sunday. The proposal includes wage increases for all three hospitals, preservation of pension plans, maintenance of health benefits for nurses, and increased staffing levels.

NYSNA characterized the preliminary agreements with Mount Sinai and Montefiore as a “victory.” These agreements include a 12% salary increase over the duration of the three-year contract, continued health benefits for nurses, measures to combat workplace violence, and protections for immigrant and transgender patients and nurses.

The progress in New York City comes amid ongoing strikes by 31,000 nurses at the non-profit healthcare system Kaiser Permanente in California and Hawaii. As this strike entered its third week on Monday, an additional 3,000 lab and pharmacy workers joined the nurses, according to the unions representing them.

(Reporting by Maria Tsvetkova, editing by Donna Bryson and Aurora Ellis)

Topics
New York