NYC nurses restart contract talks with another major hospital system on 5th day of strike

New York City nurses entered their fifth day of strike action Friday as contract talks resumed with Mount Sinai hospitals, one of three major healthcare systems affected by the walkout.

The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) returned to the negotiating table with Mount Sinai at the request of a mediator, signaling a possible step toward resolving the largest nursing strike the city has seen in decades.

Brendan Carr, Mount Sinai’s CEO, confirmed that administrators are working diligently to restore full capacity at their facilities while pursuing a resolution to the labor dispute. The hospital system has extended contracts for thousands of temporary nurses to cover shifts and is bringing in additional specialized staff to normalize surgical schedules.

“We’re committed to maintaining patient care while working toward a deal that addresses the concerns of our nursing staff,” Carr said.

The strike, which began Monday, has affected multiple hospitals across New York City and involves approximately 15,000 nurses seeking better working conditions and staffing guarantees.

Thursday night saw the first negotiations between NewYork-Presbyterian officials and union representatives since the strike began. Despite the presence of a federal mediator and discussions that stretched past midnight, both sides reported minimal progress.

NewYork-Presbyterian issued a statement acknowledging that the talks centered on the union’s staffing concerns but characterized the NYSNA’s proposals as “unreasonable.” The union countered that hospital officials rejected their revised proposals without offering alternatives.

“We put forward compromises that would address critical staffing issues while being mindful of hospital resources, but management wasn’t willing to meet us halfway,” a union spokesperson said.

As of Friday afternoon, no further meetings between NewYork-Presbyterian and the union have been scheduled, highlighting the continuing impasse.

The situation with Montefiore Medical Center, the third major system affected, remains even more contentious. Despite previous expectations of Friday negotiations, no talks have materialized. The hospital disputed claims that a meeting was ever planned, while the union maintains they are ready to negotiate when called upon by mediators.

“NYSNA nurses respect the mediators and are ready and willing to come to the bargaining table when they call,” said Nancy Hagans, the nurses’ union president. “We urge hospital executives to do the same.”

The strike’s impact varies across the city, as each medical center is negotiating independently with the union. Not all facilities within the three healthcare systems are affected by the walkout.

Hospital administrators insist operations have continued without major disruptions. They’ve hired thousands of temporary nurses to keep emergency rooms and critical departments functioning. Dr. Philip Ozuah, president of Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx, praised the staff still working during the strike in an internal letter, writing: “Another day, another miracle. Many thanks to our amazing teams, our most complex and exacting mission continues…providing life-saving care.”

Healthcare industry analysts note that the New York City strike reflects broader tensions in the medical field nationwide. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses have increasingly demanded better working conditions, citing burnout, inadequate staffing levels, and safety concerns as primary motivations for organizing.

The striking nurses argue that patient safety is at stake when staffing ratios are stretched too thin. They seek contractual guarantees on nurse-to-patient ratios to ensure quality care can be maintained.

Hospital systems counter that rigid staffing requirements would create unsustainable financial pressures at a time when many healthcare providers are still recovering from pandemic-related losses. They prefer flexibility in staffing decisions based on patient needs and available resources.

As the strike enters its fifth day, the economic impact grows for both sides. Hospitals face substantial costs for temporary staffing, while striking nurses forgo wages during the work stoppage.

Community leaders have called for an expedient resolution, noting that prolonged healthcare disruptions could potentially affect vulnerable populations, despite hospital assurances that essential services remain uncompromised.