Akm Shehabuddin Kisslu: Nurses strike at two New York City hospitals entered to the second day as of Tuesday. The strike took place after last-minute negotiations failed, the New York State Nurses Association announced early Monday. The biggest issue with the looming strike is the adverse nurse to patient ratio.
The strike comes after two other hospitals, Mount Sinai Morningside and MountSinaiWest,reached tentative agreements with the union on Sunday.
“After bargaining late into the night at Montefiore and Mount Sinai Hospital (main campus) yesterday, no tentative agreements were reached,” the statement by the NYSNA said. “Today, more than 7,000 nurses at two hospitals are on strike for fair contracts that improve patient care.”
Mayor Eric Adams released a statement Sunday night preparing the city for a potential strike.
The statement said in part,
“Nurses stand on the frontlines of our health care system, and we all were witness to their heroic actions during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are encouraged that most New York City hospitals have reached tentative agreements to avert a nurses’ strike and ask that all of the parties remain at the bargaining table for however long it takes to reach a voluntary agreement. We are simultaneously continuing to closely monitor the effect that a strike would have at the remaining handful of hospitals that have not yet reached a deal. In the event of a strike, our system will be prepared to meet the challenges.”
Mayor Eric Adams says the city has a situation room standing ready and advised people to only call 911 if they truly need emergency care.
On Sunday night, Governor Hochul called for binding arbitration to eliminate the treat of a strike.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans says these agreements aren’t up to the nurses. They are up to the bosses. They’re fighting for better pay and staffing and if no agreement is reached by 6 a.m. Monday, 7,100 nurses will go on strike.
“We are here to negotiate in good faith to make sure that the nurses have enough resources to care for the patients. It’s not up to the nurses. It’s up to the bosses to sit there and come up with a fair contract for so our nurses could continue to care for our patients,” Hagans said in Sunday’s press conference.
Picket lines went up at 7 a.m. at locations associated with the two hospitals. The union has scheduled a noon protest outside Mount Sinai.Both hospitals have prepared backup plans to handle the situation.
An NYSNA statement said, “Today, Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai Morningside reached a settlement, subject to ratification, with NYSNA union leadership and NYSNA has rescinded its strike notice at those sites. This agreement includes the identical 19.1 percent wage increases in agreements that have already been accepted by six other hospitals, and officially ratified by NewYork-Presbyterian and Maimonides.
