NYC Nurses Strike Enters Day 5 Amid Staffing, Safety, and Benefit Disputes

New York City’s largest nursing strike entered its fifth day, Friday, as 2 of the 3 health systems, facing allegations of unfair labor practices, plan to sit down with the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) to reach a deal.1

Nurses went on strike on Monday, January 12, to protest unfair health care benefits, safe staffing, and workplace violence that refused to be addressed. They’re protesting the 3 wealthiest health systems in NYC: Mount Sinai, NewYork-Presbyterian, and Montefiore. In a press release, NYSNA claims these 3 health systems were trying to skew public perception of the strike and elude salaries as the focal point of resistance, despite all 3 health systems reportedly infringing on nurses’ rights or “union busting.”2

NYC’s largest nursing strike hits Day 5 as nurses push for safer staffing, fair benefits, and workplace protections. Hospitals continue negotiations. | Image credit: @Sansert_AdobeStock.jpeg

"Unfortunately, greedy hospital executives have decided to put profits above safe patient care and force nurses out on strike when we would rather be at the bedsides of our patients," Nancy Hagans, RN, NYSNA's president, said in a press release early Monday. "Hospital management refuses to address our most important issues—patient and nurse safety.3

NYSNA stated that Montefiore Einstein Hospital, in the Bronx, unlawfully restricted nurses’ access to health care by refusing access to the hospital’s pharmacy while on strike. Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian management also threatened to discontinue or drastically cut nurses’ health care benefits for nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside and West, and NewYork-Presbyterian.2

“Instead of addressing our proposals to make Montefiore a safe place for patients and nurses, they have waged outrageous PR campaigns. Montefiore needs to stop the lies and negative attacks and start bargaining a fair contract,” Hagans said in a press release early Wednesday morning.

In a written statement to The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), the Montefiore Health System said it has allowed those on strike to have their prescriptions delivered directly to their homes. Additionally, NYSNA nurses can still attend any medical appointments scheduled, as well as visit any family members who are patients at the medical center during the strike.

The system also stated it’s rolling out several key programs to enhance safety for nurses, implementing widespread weapons detection capabilities, 24/7 armed New York Police Department members, and wearable panic buttons for nurses.

Regarding the NYSNA’s staffing concern, NewYork-Presbyterian management said it is committed to safe staffing and that the hospital has the best staffing ratios in the city. Montefiore also said its nurse turnover rate was 6.8% in 2024, nearly 10 percentage points below the national average.

Yet nurses at Montefiore continue to speak up about safe staffing. In a recent press release from the NYSNA, they shared stories of overcrowded conditions in the Bronx hospital, leaving patients with little privacy.4

NewYork-Presbyterian and the NYSNA met with a mediator Thursday evening but failed to reach a deal. Nearly all 3 of the health systems claimed the NYSNA’s demands are too unreasonable, whereas the NYSNA says these health systems are prioritizing profit over safety, health, and adequate staffing.2-4 Mount Sinai cited in a statement to CBS News that the NYSNA’s request for a pay hike would cost them nearly $1.6 billion over 3 years.1 NewYork-Presbyterian, in a written statement to AJMC, said the NYSNA’s request would amount to more than a $2 billion incremental increase over the next 3 years.

“Hospital executives are driving up the costs of care while crying they cannot afford to fund nurses’ healthcare,” Pat Kane, RN, NYSNA executive director, said in a press release. “We’re calling out their bluff and are out here on the streets of New York because patients need to know, too. Hospital executives are continuing to put their profits before the communities of New York, and enough is enough.”

Numerous politicians have spoken out in support of the nurses’ strike. New York Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency in the city, calling the staffing shortage—now that nurses are on strike—a threat to public health and safety in addition to the recent spike in influenza cases.5,6

As the strike continues, all 3 health systems will reconvene with the NYSNA to negotiate nurses’ concerns and demands for a safer and healthier work environment. While hospital staffing remains a concern during the strike, all 3 health systems have stated they’ve staffed hospitals with nurses to continue care as usual while they continue to negotiate. NYSNA believes that with public support and political attention, the outcomes could have a lasting impact on labor relations, health care staffing, and patient care across New York City.

AJMC reached out to all 3 health systems for a statement. Mount Sinai did not respond.

References

1. Fan C. NYC nurses strike negotiations to resume on Day 5 of picketing outside major hospitals. CBS News. January 16, 2026. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/nyc-nurses-strike-negotiations-day-5/

2. NYC nurses strike: Montefiore slanders nurses instead of investing in communities. New York State Nurses Association. January 14, 2026. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.nysna.org/press/nyc-nurses-strike-montefiore-slanders-nurses-instead-investing-communities

3. Hospitals force nearly 15,000 NYSNA nurses out on largest nurse strike in New York City history. New York State Nurses Association. January 12, 2026. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.nysna.org/press/hospitals-force-nearly-15000-nysna-nurses-out-largest-nurse-strike-new-york-city-history

4. Striking nurses demand fair contracts and immediate reversal of unlawful disciplines. New York State Nurses Association. January 15, 2026. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.nysna.org/press/striking-nurses-demand-fair-contracts-and-immediate-reversal-unlawful-disciplines

5. Hutchinson B, Kekatos M. ABC News. January 12, 2026. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://abcnews.go.com/US/largest-nursing-strike-new-york-city-history-looming/story?id=129100789

6. No. 56: Declaring a disaster emergency in the counties of Bronx, Nassau, New York, and contiguous counties due to healthcare staffing shortages in the state of New York. Governor Kathy Hochul. January 9, 2026. Accessed January 16, 2026. https://www.governor.ny.gov/executive-order/no-56-declaring-disaster-emergency-counties-bronx-nassau-new-york-and-contiguous