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15,000 Nurses Walk Out in NYC's Largest Healthcare Strike

15,000 Nurses Walk Out in NYC's Largest Healthcare Strike

Three Years After Winning Staffing Ratios, Nurses Strike Again to Defend Them

Today: Strike Enters Second Day

Overview

Nearly 15,000 nurses walked off the job at Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian on January 12, 2026—the largest nurses' strike in New York City history. The walkout came three years after nurses at two of those same hospital systems won enforceable staffing ratios through a three-day strike. Now the hospitals want to roll those standards back.

The core dispute centers on three issues: proposed cuts to nurses' health benefits, weakening of the hard-won staffing ratios, and inadequate protections against workplace violence. Governor Hochul declared a state emergency, hospitals deployed approximately 1,400 traveling nurses, and the standoff enters its second day with Montefiore signaling it expects a multi-week conflict.

Key Indicators

~15,000
Nurses on Strike
Largest nursing strike in NYC history across three hospital systems
$100M+
Spent on Replacement Nurses
Hospitals' collective spending on temporary traveling nurses ahead of the strike
1,400
Traveling Nurses Deployed
Temporary replacement staff brought in to maintain hospital operations
$47M
Combined CEO Compensation
Total 2023-2024 compensation for CEOs of the three striking hospital systems

People Involved

NH
Nancy Hagans
President, New York State Nurses Association (Leading the strike negotiations)
Kathy Hochul
Kathy Hochul
Governor of New York (Declared state disaster emergency on January 9, 2026)
Zohran Kwame Mamdani
Zohran Kwame Mamdani
Mayor of New York City (Publicly supporting striking nurses)
KR
Kenneth E. Raske
President, Greater New York Hospital Association (Speaking for hospitals in opposition to strike)
SC
Steven J. Corwin
President & CEO, NewYork-Presbyterian (Leading hospital's negotiating position)
PO
Philip O. Ozuah
President & CEO, Montefiore Medicine (Leading hospital's negotiating position)

Organizations Involved

NE
New York State Nurses Association
Labor Union
Status: Leading the strike

NYSNA represents over 42,000 registered nurses across New York State and is affiliated with National Nurses United.

Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System
Hospital System
Status: Affected by strike at three locations

Mount Sinai operates eight hospital campuses and over 400 ambulatory practices across the New York metropolitan area.

Montefiore Health System
Montefiore Health System
Hospital System
Status: Affected by strike at four Bronx locations

Montefiore is the largest healthcare provider in the Bronx, operating multiple hospitals and the academic medical center affiliated with Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Hospital System
Status: Affected by strike at three Manhattan locations

NewYork-Presbyterian is one of the nation's largest and most comprehensive healthcare delivery networks, affiliated with Columbia and Weill Cornell medical schools.

Timeline

  1. Strike Enters Second Day

    Labor Action

    Nearly 15,000 nurses remain on picket lines; hospitals maintain operations with approximately 1,400 traveling nurses.

  2. Strike Begins at Mount Sinai

    Labor Action

    Picket lines form at Mount Sinai Hospital at 6 AM, marking start of largest nurses' strike in NYC history.

  3. Mayor Mamdani Joins Picket Line

    Political

    NYC Mayor visits NewYork-Presbyterian picket line, calls on all parties to return to negotiations.

  4. Hochul Declares Emergency

    Government Action

    Governor issues Executive Order 56, declaring disaster emergency and allowing out-of-state medical staff to practice in New York.

  5. Safety-Net Hospitals Reach Agreements

    Settlement

    Four safety-net hospitals (Flushing, Maimonides, Interfaith, Kingsbrook) reach tentative contracts; three more rescind strike notices.

  6. NYSNA Issues Strike Notices

    Labor

    Union delivers 10-day strike notices to 12 NYC hospitals, setting January 12 deadline.

  7. Mamdani Inaugurated as NYC Mayor

    Political

    Zohran Mamdani takes office; NYSNA president Nancy Hagans had served on his transition team.

  8. Contracts Expire at 12 NYC Hospitals

    Labor

    NYSNA contracts with a dozen NYC private sector hospitals expire without new agreements.

  9. NYSNA Endorses Mamdani for Mayor

    Political

    New York State Nurses Association endorses Zohran Mamdani in NYC mayoral race.

  10. 2023 Strike Ends with Union Victory

    Settlement

    Nurses win 19% wage increases over three years and enforceable staffing ratios with financial penalties at both hospitals.

  11. 2023 NYC Nurses Strike Begins

    Labor Action

    Approximately 7,000 nurses at Mount Sinai and Montefiore walk out over staffing and wages.

  12. New York Passes Safe Staffing Law

    Legislation

    New York enacts law requiring 1:2 nurse-to-patient ratio in ICUs and mandating staffing committees at all hospitals.

Scenarios

1

Quick Settlement Mirrors 2023 Pattern

Discussed by: Healthcare labor analysts, comparisons to 2023 strike coverage in The City, NBC New York

Hospitals capitulate within days under political and public pressure. In 2023, a similar standoff at Mount Sinai and Montefiore ended after three days with the union winning 19% raises and enforceable staffing ratios. With Mayor Mamdani publicly backing nurses and Governor Hochul's emergency declaration raising stakes, hospitals may calculate that a prolonged strike costs more than concessions—particularly given the $100+ million already spent on traveling nurses.

2

Extended Strike Reshapes NYC Healthcare Labor Relations

Discussed by: Montefiore spokesperson (signaling multi-week preparation), Greater New York Hospital Association statements

Hospitals hold firm, calculating that accepting union demands would set an unsustainable precedent. Montefiore has explicitly prepared for a multi-week strike. If hospitals demonstrate they can maintain operations with traveling nurses through flu season, they may secure contracts with smaller wage increases and weakened staffing enforcement. This would represent a significant shift from the union's 2023 victory.

3

Government-Mediated Compromise Ends Standoff

Discussed by: Governor Hochul's statements, coverage of safety-net hospital negotiations

State mediators broker a deal that preserves some staffing ratio enforcement while granting hospitals flexibility on implementation and containing wage increases. The precedent exists: seven safety-net hospitals reached agreements with union help from mediators just before the strike deadline. Governor Hochul's dual messaging—supporting patient safety while acknowledging nurses' essential work—positions the state to facilitate middle-ground terms.

4

Patient Safety Incident Forces Resolution

Discussed by: Healthcare safety experts, Governor Hochul's emergency declaration rationale

A serious adverse event at an affected hospital—whether from understaffing with traveling nurses unfamiliar with facilities, or from delays in emergency care—creates political pressure that forces one side to concede. The strike coincides with a severe flu season (128,000+ cases) that has already strained hospital capacity. This scenario represents the outcome both sides publicly claim to want to avoid.

Historical Context

NYC Nurses Strike (2023)

January 2023

What Happened

Approximately 7,000 nurses at Mount Sinai and Montefiore walked out for three days over staffing levels and wages. The hospitals had resisted enforceable nurse-to-patient ratios for years, while nurses argued understaffing endangered patients.

Outcome

Short Term

Nurses won 19% wage increases over three years and, for the first time, enforceable staffing ratios with financial penalties when hospitals failed to comply. Mount Sinai agreed to immediate staffing improvements; Montefiore added 170 nursing positions.

Long Term

The settlement established enforceable staffing standards at two major NYC systems. However, hospitals are now seeking to roll back these standards in the 2026 negotiations—making the previous victory the central issue of the current dispute.

Why It's Relevant Today

The current strike is a direct sequel: nurses won staffing ratios in 2023, and hospitals are now trying to weaken them. The three-day timeline of the 2023 strike may set expectations, though hospitals appear better prepared for a longer action this time.

Minnesota Nurses Strike (2022)

September 2022

What Happened

Approximately 15,000 nurses across 15 Minnesota hospitals walked out for three days—at the time, the largest private-sector nurses' strike in U.S. history. The Minnesota Nurses Association sought wage increases to match inflation and relief from chronic understaffing.

Outcome

Short Term

Nurses ratified contracts at all 15 hospitals with 18% wage increases over three years in the Twin Cities and 17% in Duluth—the largest pay raises in two decades.

Long Term

The strike demonstrated that coordinated action across multiple hospital systems could succeed and established a template for large-scale nursing labor actions.

Why It's Relevant Today

The NYC strike matches the Minnesota action in scale (approximately 15,000 nurses) and core issues (staffing, wages). Minnesota nurses' success through solidarity may inform NYSNA strategy, while hospitals may study how Minnesota systems eventually settled.

Kaiser Permanente Strike (2023)

October 2023

What Happened

Over 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers—including nurses, technicians, and pharmacists—launched a three-day strike across multiple states in what became the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history. Workers cited understaffing and inadequate wages.

Outcome

Short Term

Kaiser and the Coalition of Kaiser Permanente Unions reached a tentative four-year agreement within nine days of the strike's start, ratified in November 2023.

Long Term

The settlement provided substantial wage increases and staffing commitments. The strike's scale demonstrated that even the largest healthcare systems face limits when workers coordinate across locations.

Why It's Relevant Today

The Kaiser action showed that healthcare workers across roles can coordinate effectively. Unlike Kaiser (a single integrated system), the NYC strike involves three separate hospital systems, raising questions about whether coordinated action against multiple employers can maintain unity.

12 Sources:
+6
ABC News The City CBS New York Nurse.org New York State Nurses Association TIME NPR Gothamist PIX11 New York State Nurses Association ABC News New York State Nurses Association