Editor’s Note: The following is an updated version of the story that appears in our latest print edition which went to press prior to the announcement regarding the end of the strike action.

 

The nurses strike led by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) against both Montefiore Health System and Mount Sinai Health System, which has been ongoing for three days since Monday, Jan. 9, has ended, according to a statement released by NYSNA on Thursday, Jan. 12. Gov. Kathy Hochul joined New York State representatives of The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL–CIO), the largest federation of unions in the United States, on Thursday together with nurses on New York’s streets as the latter celebrated the deal and began their return to work.

 

In an earlier Tweet on Thursday, the NYSNA wrote, “NYC nurses strike to end this morning in historic victory as tentative deals were reached with both @MontefioreNYC and @MountSinaiNYC Hospital. Nurses won concrete enforceable safe staffing ratios in both deals and will be back on the job.”

 

Hochul later tweeted, “Congratulations to New York’s nurses on their new contract! My team and I have been working around the clock to bring all sides together. I’m proud this agreement delivers good wages & benefits to our frontline heroes & ensures patients will receive top-notch care.”

 

On the first day of the strike, the NYSNA had sent the following message to those in need of hospital care, “To all of our patients, to all New Yorkers, we want to be absolutely clear: If you are sick, please do not delay getting medical care, regardless of whether we are on strike. In fact, we invite you to come join us on the strike line after you’ve gotten the care you need.”

To all of our patients, to all New Yorkers, we want to be absolutely clear: If you are sick, please do not delay getting medical care, regardless of whether we are on strike. In fact, we invite you to come join us on the strike line after you've gotten the care you need. pic.twitter.com/019D03aalS

— NYSNA (@nynurses) January 9, 2023

More than 100 nurses from Montefiore Medical Center, Moses campus, located at 111 East 210^th Street in Norwood joined their nursing colleagues at two other Bronx locations, Montefiore Weiler, located at 1825 Eastchester Road in Morris Park and Montefiore Hutchinson, located at 1250 Waters Place in Pelham Bay on Monday, Jan. 9, for the first day of strike action. The move followed the breakdown of contract negotiations between union officials and Montefiore Health System.

 

Nurses at Mount Sinai Health System also walked out the same day, with media outlets reporting that over 7,000 nurses across Mount Sinai Health System and Montefiore Health System went ahead with the strike on Monday, demanding increased staffing, better wages, and an end to benefit cuts.

BREAKING: NYC nurses strike to end this morning in historic victory as tentative deals were reached with both @MontefioreNYC and @MountSinaiNYC Hospital. Nurses won concrete enforceable safe staffing ratios in both deals and will be back on the job.

🔗: https://t.co/oD5QvxBQIy pic.twitter.com/mdG61OieZ6

— NYSNA (@nynurses) January 12, 2023

 

Wearing bright red scarves and hats on a cold winter’s day, the frigid temperatures didn’t appear to bother the nurses as they marched side by side, holding signs that said it all: “On strike for better patient care.” Others cited fair wages and a fair contract. Some nurses arrived as early as 7 a.m. to join the picket line and marched in the vicinity of 210th Street, East Gun Hill Road, and Bainbridge Avenue in Norwood. They vowed to continue the strike until an agreement was reached.

 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine issued a statement in support of the nurses earlier this week, saying, “Mount Sinai and Montefiore’s nurses were at the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic, putting themselves in harm’s way to help their neighbors and fellow New Yorkers through one of the worst public health crises in a generation. These heroes deserve a contract that fairly compensates them for their commitment and expertise, and ensures safe working conditions.”

As @nynurses declares their tentative agreements with @MountSinaiNYC & @MontefioreNYC a victory, nurses embrace each other in celebrations as they return to work. @NY1 pic.twitter.com/4OTWSaJSs6

— Alyssa Paolicelli (@APaolicelli17) January 12, 2023

They continued, “Our commitment is to community, and the safety of patients receiving care in these hospitals. Improving nurse-to-patient staffing ratios provides the best patient outcomes. When both sides align with this highest priority the negotiated contract will be a win-win for all stakeholders, ensuring the best quality metrics for hospitals, and the wellbeing of patients and essential nursing staff.”

 

Other local elected officials, including State Sen. Gustavo Rivera (S.D. 33), Assembly Member Jeffrey Dinowitz (A.D. 81), District 11 City Council Member Eric Dinowitz, District 14 City Council Member Pierina Sanchez, and District 13 City Council Member Marjorie Velázquez  had also voiced their support for the nurses this week, with some joining them on the picket line and addressing the crowds. The nurses had also been supported on the picket line by the New York hotel workers’ union.

 

Bronx-based Montefiore Health System, a huge employer in the borough, comprises 10 hospitals, including the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Burke Rehabilitation Hospital, and more than 200 outpatient ambulatory care sites. Officials say the hospital system’s advanced clinical and translational research at its medical school, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, directly informs patient care and improves outcomes.

On Tuesday, Jan. 10, representatives for Montefiore Health System said their existing and standing offer included enhanced staffing by adding 8 RN educators, increased IVF benefits of $24,000 for medical and prescriptions, a new vision benefit with no monthly premiums, $2,250 annual maximum for dental, $3,000 lifetime for orthodontia, and the addition of 150 spots for nursing school students to serve as clinical assistant student nurses.

 

The offer also included tuition relief of up to $16,000 over three years for participants of the clinical assistant student nurse program, RN licensing assistance with prep and payment of costs associated with NCLEX examination for up to 150 new graduates, a wage increase of 19.1 percent compounded over three years, a charge / preceptor deferential of $5 / hour, and enhanced staffing levels in the ED of 115 RNs, 11 RNs in Labor & Delivery, and 23 NPs.

 

In addition to the existing offer, Montefiore also offered an “experience pay increase” comprising a $300 increase for each step 1-32 in 2024, plus the creation of step levels 33-35, and an increase of $300 for each step 1-35 in 2025. The additional offer also included the establishment of average ratios based on patient acuity levels in each of the EDs.

 

It also included enhanced staffing enforcement aligned with polices proposed and accepted as part of NYSNA’s tentative agreement with New York Presbyterian dated December 31, 2022, the elimination of hallway patient placement except in circumstances mandated by certain regulations, the option to work 13 shifts per month with a 20 percent differential in base wage rate, or 12 shifts with no differential, binding arbitration with expanded remedies when it comes to enforcement,  and a new nurse practitioner fellowship.

At 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 11, Mount Sinai had provided an update on their negotiations with NYSNA, writing in part, “NYSNA has finally agreed to meet us back at the negotiating table. We reiterated our offer for an agreement to end this strike and put nurses first.”

 

Among other outlined benefits, Mount Sinai officials said they offered NYSNA a 19.1 percent pay raise compounded over three years, which they said meant at least $51,000 for every Mount Sinai nurse. “We offered NYSNA better health care benefits for working and retired Mount Sinai nurses, the same as 8 other hospitals,” Mount Sinai’s statement read.

 

On Thursday, NYSNA released a statement confirming the nurses’ return to work and citing a historic victory with “tentative deals reached with both Montefiore Bronx and Mount Sinai Hospital.” The union said nurses won concrete enforceable safe staffing ratios in both deals.

 

NYSNA president, Nancy Hagans, RN, said, “This is a historic victory for New York City nurses and for nurses across the country. NYSNA nurses have done the impossible, saving lives night and day, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and now we’ve again shown that nothing is impossible for nurse heroes.”

She added, “Through our unity and by putting it all on the line, we won enforceable safe staffing ratios at both Montefiore and Mount Sinai where nurses went on strike for patient care. Today, we can return to work with our heads held high, knowing that our victory means safer care for our patients and more sustainable jobs for our profession.”

Union officials said Mount Sinai nurses would be walking back into the hospital this morning after winning wall-to-wall safe staffing ratios for all inpatient units with firm enforcement so that there will always be enough nurses at the bedside to provide safe patient care, “not just on paper.” Union officials added that the new staffing ratios take effect immediately in what was described as a historic breakthrough.

 

The union added that at Montefiore, nurses were also returning to work on Thursday “after winning new safe staffing ratios in the Emergency Department, with new staffing language and financial penalties for failing to comply with safe staffing levels in all units.” They said nurses also won community health improvements and nurse student partnerships to recruit local Bronx nurses to stay as union nurses at Montefiore for the long-run.

 

Both facilities agreed to immediate return-to-work agreements so nurses would be back at the bedside with patients today. Union officials added that nurses at Wyckoff Hospital also reached a tentative deal on Wednesday night and withdrew their 10-day strike notice.

 

Montefiore representatives had echoed on Tuesday, Jan. 10, the earlier message issued by NYSNA in which the union encouraged sick people who needed care to continue to go and receive care at a hospital if needed, saying, “Montefiore remains at the bargaining table, committed to an equitable agreement that reflects the priorities of our dedicated nurses. Contingency plans remain in place to ensure our hospitals remain open, because Montefiore is, and always will be, here for The Bronx.”

 

Nurses are heading back to work this morning! We were joined by @NYSAFLCIO Pres. Cilento and @GovHochul to celebrate our tentative agreements and greet nurses as we head back to keep NYC safe and healthy! pic.twitter.com/A5QUMFk37G

— NYSNA (@nynurses) January 12, 2023

 

In a subsequent statement on Thursday, Philip O. Ozuah, MD, PhD, president and CEO of Montefiore Medicine, said, “We came to these bargaining sessions with great respect for our nurses and with proposals that reflect their priorities in terms of wages, benefits, safety, and staffing.” He added, “We are pleased to offer a 19% wage increase, benefits that match or exceed those of our peer institutions, more than 170 new nursing positions and a generous plan to address recruitment and retention.”

 

According to Montefiore, the new agreement includes:

• A 19.1% wage increase
• An increase of over 170 new nursing positions
• Maintaining fully funded health care for eligible nurses and lifetime health coverage for eligible retired nurses
• An increase in preceptor and charge nurse pay of $5 per hour over standard wages
• An increase for Float Pool Nurses adding significantly more RNs and NPs in the Emergency Departments (mirroring in-patient unit staffing obligations)
• Continuing to significantly increase our nurse education infrastructure in our EDs

 

“We are grateful for the dedication and commitment of our nurses who have served through very challenging circumstances over the past several years.” Ozuah concluded.