Nearly All Nurses at 12 NYC Hospitals Vote to Authorize Strike, Union Says

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Nearly all nurses at 12 private-sector hospitals in New York City have voted to authorize a strike if contract negotiations fail, according to a press release issued Monday by the New York State Nurses Association.

The union said 97% of participating nurses voted in favor of granting strike authorization, covering roughly 20,000 nurses across the five boroughs. Current labor contracts are set to expire Dec. 31, and no strike date has been announced.

Under the authorization, union leaders could call a strike as early as Jan. 1 if agreements are not reached before the contracts expire. NYSNA said striking would be a last resort and that it hopes negotiations will produce contracts before the end of the year.

Nurses are seeking enforceable safe-staffing standards, protections against workplace violence, healthcare benefits and wage increases. The union accused hospital management of delaying negotiations and failing to make serious counterproposals.

Hospitals where nurses voted to authorize a strike include BronxCare Health System; The Brooklyn Hospital Center; Flushing Hospital Medical Center; Interfaith Medical Center and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center, both part of One Brooklyn Health; Maimonides Medical Center; Montefiore Medical Center; Mount Sinai Hospital; Mount Sinai Morningside; Mount Sinai West; NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Medical Center; Richmond University Medical Center; and Wyckoff Heights Medical Center.

Hospital systems named in the release did not immediately respond to requests for comment.