About 7,000 New York City nurses have ended their strike after reaching tentative contracts Jan. 12.
Eight things to know:
1. Members of the New York State Nurses Association went on strike for three days at two New York City hospitals: Mount Sinai Medical Center on the Upper East Side of Manhattan and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.
2. Nurses at the hospitals reached tentative deals that improve staffing ratios, the union said in a Jan. 12 news release.
3. At Mount Sinai, the tentative contract includes "wall-to-wall safe staffing ratios for all inpatient units with firm enforcement" to ensure improved staffing levels, the union said. At Montefiore, the tentative contract includes new staffing ratios in the emergency department.
4. The tentative contract at Montefiore also includes a 19.1 percent wage increase compounded over three years, as well as increases in registered nurse and nurse practitioner staff.
5. "This is a historic victory for New York City nurses and for nurses across the country. NYSNA nurses have done the impossible, saving lives night and day, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and now we've again shown that nothing is impossible for nurse heroes," NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, BSN, RN, said in a Jan. 12 news release. "Through our unity and by putting it all on the line, we won enforceable safe staffing ratios at both Montefiore and Mount Sinai where nurses went on strike for patient care. Today, we can return to work with our heads held high, knowing that our victory means safer care for our patients and more sustainable jobs for our profession."
6. Mount Sinai said in a separate statement, "We are pleased that the Mount Sinai Hospital reached a tentative agreement with NYSNA, and the strike is over. Our proposed agreement is similar to those between NYSNA and eight other New York City hospitals. It is fair and responsible, and it puts patients first. We're grateful to [New York] Gov. [Kathy] Hochul, her staff and elected officials for their leadership and support throughout the negotiation process. To our incredible Mount Sinai team: thank you for your unwavering dedication to world-class patient care."
7. Philip Ozuah, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Montefiore Medicine, said in a separate statement, "We came to these bargaining sessions with great respect for our nurses and with proposals that reflect their priorities in terms of wages, benefits, safety and staffing. We are pleased to offer a 19 percent wage increase, benefits that match or exceed those of our peer institutions, more than 170 new nursing positions and a generous plan to address recruitment and retention."
8. Mount Sinai and Montefiore nurses began their strike Jan. 9, and hospitals implemented contingency plans to prepare for the strike, including bringing in temporary staff. The union said both hospitals have agreed to immediate return-to-work agreements so nurses will be back at their jobs Jan. 12.