Nearly 15,000 nurses represented by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) went on strike in New York City on Monday, January 12, demanding safer working conditions, stronger health benefits, and better workplace protections. The action marks one of the largest nurses’ strikes in the city’s history.
The strike targets three privately operated hospital systems: Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian. According to ProPublica’s nonprofit tracker, NewYork-Presbyterian reported a net income of $547 million in 2024, while Mount Sinai reported $114 million and Montefiore $288.62 million.
“Management Refused to Make Meaningful Progress”
In a press release, NYSNA outlined the challenges nurses faced during negotiations with hospital management.
“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union stated.
“Management at the richest hospitals in New York City is threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”
Individual nurses have echoed these concerns publicly. Morgan Betancourt, a staff nurse, described extreme understaffing in her department.
“We’re talking an emergency room filled to the brink,” Betancourt said. “Ninety patients, and we have maybe nine nurses.”
Safety Concerns and Workplace Violence
Safety issues have been a central focus of the strike. Dania Muñoz, a Mount Sinai nurse practitioner and member of the union’s negotiating committee, emphasized the need for stronger security measures.
“We have told them that we need weapons detection systems at each entrance,” Muñoz said.
Her comments followed reports that hospital management failed to adequately notify staff when a gunman threatened to shoot up the facility in November.
Political Support at Union Rally
On Tuesday, January 13, 2026, NYSNA held a press conference and rally attended by several prominent New York politicians.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani spoke in support of the nurses, pointing to executive compensation at the hospitals involved. Mamdani cited a $16 million salary for Montefiore’s president and CEO last year and a $26 million salary for NewYork-Presbyterian’s CEO.
“There is no shortage of wealth in the health care industry—especially at the three privately operated hospital groups where nurses are striking,” Mamdani said.
“At every one of our city’s darkest periods, nurses showed up to work. Their value is not negotiable, and their worth is not up for debate.”
Attorney General: “They Have the Resources”
New York State Attorney General Letitia James also addressed the crowd, criticizing hospital executives for their handling of the strike. She condemned reports that union nurses were being forced to train their own strike replacements.
“If these hospitals have money to hire scabs,” James said, “then they’ve got the money and resources to address the needs of these nurses.”
What Comes Next?
While elected officials cannot directly compel the hospital systems to agree to a contract—similar to the recent agreement reached with Long Island hospital networks—continued public pressure and political support may help push negotiations toward a fair settlement.
As the strike continues, nurses say their demands remain simple: safe staffing levels, adequate benefits, and working conditions that allow them to care for patients without putting their own health and safety at risk.