NYC nursing walkout ends as last striking nurses approve new contract

NEW YORK (AP) — Nurses at a major New York hospital system approved a new contract and voted to end it Saturday a major nursing strike more than a month later.

More than 4,000 nurses at the privately operated NewYork-Presbyterian system went on strike on January 12. They will start returning to work next week. The union, called the New York State Nurses Association, said 93 percent of its members at NewYork-Presbyterian voted to approve the three-year contract.

Two other large private hospital systems, Montefiore and Mount Sinai, ended their nurses’ strike earlier this month. signing contract agreements with the same unity.

“We are very happy with the gains we have made, and now the fight to enforce these agreements and hold our employers accountable begins,” union President Nancy Hagans said in a statement Saturday.

NewYork-Presbyterian said it looks forward to the return of its nurses and that the contract “reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play as part of our exceptional care teams.”

Both sides said Friday: provisional agreement reached. Union members voted on Friday and Saturday.

According to the union, the provisions included staff improvements, raises of up to 12 percent over three years and safeguards on the use of artificial intelligence.

The union said the strike initially involved a total of 15,000 nurses at Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian. It affected only some facilities in these three systems and did not include hospitals in the city.

During the strike, Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian hired thousands of temporary nurses, transferred some patients and canceled some procedures. hospitals Insisted on their smooth delivery care, including complex surgeries. However, some vulnerable patients and their families may routine tasks took longer.

Strikers complained of unmanageable workloads and accused hospitals of trying to deny them health benefits. Hospitals disputed these claims and said the union’s demands were exorbitant.

Nurses at some Mount Sinai and Montefiore hospitals also Released in 2023. this strike finished in three days.