Victory! Montefiore and Mount Sinai Nurses Ratify Contracts After One Month on Strike!

After four long weeks, last weekend nurses reached tentative agreements that protect nurses and patients. Nurses put everything on the line — time, healthcare, money and more — and came out victorious. Nurses at Montefiore, Mount Sinai Hospital, and Mount Sinai Morningside and West ratified agreements on Tuesday and Wednesday by an overwhelming majority and began returning to work as early as Thursday morning.

Hospital bosses who claim they “want their nurses back” are now playing games with seniority, targeting union leaders, blocking APRNs from keeping appointments with patients who need care, and violating the agreement — which clearly states that no nurse’s return can be delayed because of an agency nurse. We will vigorously defend our members’ rights and hold management accountable to the agreement.

Nurses are excited to get back to their patients, and now the hard work of enforcing the contracts begins. While nurses’ employers tried to cut corners on patient care, nurses fought hard and won new positions and maintained strong staffing enforcement language that helps them hold employers accountable. One month on the strike line showed us all how strong we as nurses are and that when we use our voices, anything is possible!

Our NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) nurses made their voices heard this week. They rejected the mediator’s proposal and voted to continue their unfair labor practice strike. NYP has not agreed to the safe staffing and layoff protections that our members are demanding. It’s shameful that one of the richest hospitals in the city and state could not do better. Now it’s time for all of us to support NYP nurses on the picket line. This fight is not over!

The media has been following the strike closely. Some of the highlights include The New York Times, Bloomberg, Documented, The Associated Press, Reuters, AMNY, 1010Wins, Crain’s, The City, Univision, WNYC, The Daily News, The Associated Press, and ABC7.

Our allies at ALIGN penned an opinion editorial in amNY in support of the nurses. And the New York Daily News published an opinion editorial that our member Diana Torres, RN, wrote. To see more photos, visit our Facebook page.