More than 100 New York City and State Elected Leaders Sign Letter in Support of NYC Nurses Fighting for Fair Union Contracts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, Dec. 18, 2025
Contact: Andrea Penman-Lomeli | press@nysna.org | 347-559-3169
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
MORE THAN 100 NEW YORK CITY AND STATE ELECTED LEADERS SIGN LETTER IN SUPPORT OF NYC NURSES FIGHTING FOR FAIR UNION CONTRACTS
As the Dec. 31 contract expiration date approaches for approximately 20,000 nurses at 12 New York City private hospitals, elected leaders voice their solidarity with frontline nurses
New York, N.Y. - 117 New York City and State elected leaders, including Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, Borough Presidents Vanessa Gibson, Mark Levine, Antonio Reynoso, and Donovan Richards, 19 state senators, 45 state assembly members, 40 city council members, and 6 city council members-elect signed onto a letter in support of the approximately 20,000 nurses at 12 New York City private hospitals who are fighting for fair union contracts that protect safe patient care. Contracts for the nurses expire in just two weeks on Dec. 31. Several of New York City’s wealthiest hospital systems are among those where nurses are bargaining, including Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian, as well as safety-net hospitals in the outer boroughs.
“We call on the hospital administration to agree to strong and enforceable safe staffing standards that ensure quality care in our communities,” reads the letter. “We urge you to agree with the nurses’ just demands and commit to a fair contract without further delay. We see fulfilling these demands as a pathway to protecting the health and safety of our communities.”
READ THE LETTER HERE
With healthcare for New Yorkers under attack by the Trump administration, New York City and State elected leaders are joining NYSNA’s call for New York City’s wealthiest hospitals to do their part to protect our city’s most vulnerable patients by prioritizing vital services and safe staffing. Experts estimate that the Trump administration's cuts would raise the number of uninsured New Yorkers by over a million and cut billions from New York’s healthcare funding. Hospitals have the opportunity to protect care for New Yorkers who need it most and prioritize the safety of their frontline staff.
After months at the bargaining table, employers have yet to propose serious economic counterproposals, and some hospitals have not offered any economic counterproposals at all. Some employers have proposed givebacks that would harm nurses’ ability to deliver safe patient care and would make it harder to hold hospitals accountable for maintaining safe staffing levels. Others will not commit to maintaining nurses’ healthcare benefits.
Three years ago, 7,000 NYSNA nurses at Mount Sinai and Montefiore went on a historic 3-day strike to win enforceable safe staffing ratios. Nurses are once again vowing to do whatever it takes to win contracts that put patients first. After growing frustrated with hospital management responding to nurses’ demands with avoidance and delays, nurses at several hospitals have begun strike authorization votes, which would give their bargaining committees authority to put in 10-day strike notices if contracts are not settled by the Dec. 31 deadline.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, at Maimonides Medical Center said, “NYSNA nurses are so proud to have the support of more than 100 of our most esteemed elected leaders in our fight for fair contracts that protect safe patient care. For too long, our wealthiest hospitals have prioritized outrageous CEO pay and financial speculation above caring for our most vulnerable patients. Nurses say: enough is enough. It’s time for hospital administrators to step up and stand with nurses to defend our patients against looming federal healthcare cuts instead of fighting against us by trying to roll back the safe staffing standards we’ve won, unfairly disciplining nurses for speaking out about workplace violence, and holding nurses’ healthcare hostage.”
Nurses’ campaign “Nurses Care for New York” defends New York’s healthcare system and ensures that all New Yorkers have access to safe patient care. Approximately 20,000 NYSNA nurses at 12 private sector hospitals whose contracts expire Dec. 31, 2025 are united around a five-point platform:
- Quality patient care through enforceable safe staffing.
- Defend access to care when our patients’ healthcare services and staff are under attack
- Protect nurses, so we can continue to care for you.
- Every patient deserves a real nurse.
- Fair wages and benefits to recruit and retain nurses.
On Tuesday, Nov. 18, more than 200 New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) nurses held a rally on the steps of city hall before testifying at a city council oversight hearing on the state of nursing. Nurses from New York City’s private hospitals spoke out about workplace violence, safe staffing, the risk of artificial intelligence compromising care, and the fear of ICE terror that’s stopping some of their immigrant patients from getting the care they need. Nurses demanded hospitals do more to protect healthcare for all New Yorkers.
###
The New York State Nurses Association represents more than 42,000 members in New York State. We are New York’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses. NYSNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United, AFL-CIO, the country's largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses, with more than 225,000 members nationwide.