New York, Jan 13 (.) A strike by nearly 15,000 nurses at several major New York City hospitals entered its first day on Monday after talks over a new contract collapsed, triggering concern among patients and their families about ongoing care, CBS News reported.
The strike began at 6 am EST on Monday at five privately run hospitals, including Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West and NewYork-Presbyterian facilities in Manhattan. Patients’ families said the absence of regular nursing staff has raised concerns about continuity and quality of care.
Charlie Bravo, whose sister is currently admitted at Mount Sinai West, said the situation has made him uneasy. “They definitely need the nurses. They need to wrap this up quick,” he said. “The city cannot have the nurses out here any longer than today,” as reported by CBS News.
Questions have also been raised about who is replacing the striking nurses. The Greater New York Hospital Association said hospitals have hired contract nurses, adjusted staff schedules, accelerated patient discharges, and rescheduled some planned procedures to manage operations during the strike.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed executive orders last week to ensure the state Department of Health deployed staff at the affected hospitals.
However, striking nurses and some patients argue that patient care involves more than basic competence. Lin Geronimo, a nurse participating in the strike, said replacement nurses are unfamiliar with hospital-specific systems and routines.
Negotiations between hospital management and the New York State Nurses Association failed to produce an agreement by Monday’s deadline, despite talks continuing through the weekend.
The union accused hospitals such as Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian of prioritising profits over safe patient care, citing disputes over health coverage, wages, staffing levels, pensions, and workplace protections.
Hospital officials described the strike as “reckless” in a joint statement. Some hospitals, including Northwell Health facilities in Nassau County, reached agreements with the union, while others withdrew strike notices.
NewYork-Presbyterian officials said they had offered wage increases, improved benefits, and enhanced workplace safety, adding that “good faith bargaining requires compromise from both sides.”
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