Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian Return to Work After 41 Days of Historic Nurse Strike
**MEDIA ADVISORY FOR THURSDAY, FEB. 26 AT 6:30 AM**
Contact: Andrea Penman-Lomeli | press@nysna.org | 347-559-3169
Kristi Barnes | press@nysna.org | 646-853-4489
NURSES AT NEWYORK-PRESBYTERIAN RETURN TO WORK AFTER 41 DAYS OF HISTORIC NURSE STRIKE
After voting overwhelmingly to ratify a new contract, nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian system return to work this week
NYSNA nurses celebrate end of city’s largest and longest nurse strike
New York, NY — On Thursday, NYSNA nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) celebrate their return to work. Over the weekend, they voted overwhelmingly to ratify new a new three-year agreement that protects patient and nurse safety. This marks the end of the historic nurse strike, which began as the largest nurse strike in New York City history on Jan. 12 with approximately 15,000 NYSNA nurses at Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside and West, Montefiore Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian The strike, which lasted 41 days, helped nurses secure contracts that protect safe patient care with safe staffing standards, protect nurses’ health benefits, and ensure safer hospitals with workplace violence protections.
WHAT: NYSNA Nurses Walk Back to Work After 41 Days on Strike Media Availability
WHO: NYSNA Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian
WHEN: Thursday, Feb. 26 at 6:30 AM
WHERE: NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center
177 Fort Washington Ave, New York, NY 10032
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, said, “We have said from the very beginning when employers pushed 15,000 nurses out on strike, that we will not stop fighting until we achieve what our communities deserve. The city’s largest nurse strike helped nurses secure contracts that protect patients with safe staffing standards, secures our health benefits, which greedy employers wanted to take away, and creates safer hospitals. After 41 days, nurses not only improved care, they set an example for the rest of the labor movement.”
NYSNA Executive Director Pat Kane, RN, CNOR(e), said, “The healthcare industry is one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful industry, in this city. When nurses took on hospitals, they took on some of the state’s biggest private employers. Their achievements show the city that when workers take action and remain united, they can fight back the healthcare industry’s greed, advocate for patients, and change healthcare for the better.”
Beth Loudin, RN, from NewYork-Presbyterian, said, “We are so proud of NYSNA nurses’ unity over the last few weeks. These 41 days undoubtedly made us stronger. We’re excited to get back to the bedside and are proud of what we achieved.”
During this historic nurse strike, nurses at Montefiore Medical Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside and West, and NewYork-Presbyterian fought to protect and improve care for New Yorkers. They faced some of the wealthiest, largest private employers in the city and fought against unseen levels of union-busting, public denigration, and delay tactics. Hospitals flaunted the millions they spent on temporary travel nurses, rather than investing in safe patient care. Despite this, nurses achieved contracts that set industry standards and will improve care for New Yorkers.
Over 20,000 NYSNA nurses at 12 private sector hospitals launched a coordinated contract campaign in August, 2025—the largest in NYSNA’s history. Nurses at BronxCare Health System, The Brooklyn Hospital Center, Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Interfaith Medical Center / One Brooklyn Health, Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center / One Brooklyn Health, Maimonides Medical Center, Montefiore Medical Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside and West, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia University Medical Center, Richmond University Medical Center and Wyckoff Heights Medical Center began bargaining in September and voted overwhelmingly to issue 10-day strike notices on Dec. 22.
Nurses at Montefiore Medical Center, Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside and West and NewYork-Presbyterian went on the largest and longest nurse strike in New York City history on January 12. Nurses picketed at Montefiore Weiler, Montefiore Henry & Lucy Moses, MontefioreHutchinson, Montefiore Children's Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian Allen, NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian Children’s Hospital of New York, Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West through some of the coldest temperatures in the city and demonstrated their incredible resolve to protect patient and nurse safety through fair contracts.
NYSNA nurses at all 12 private sector hospitals prioritized and were able to:
- Improve enforceable safe staffing standards and increase the number of nurses to improve patient care.
- Protect their health benefits that hospitals threatened to drastically cut.
- Protect nurses from workplace violence.
- Protect immigrant patients and nurses.
- Safeguard against artificial intelligence in their contracts for the first time.
- Increase salaries by more than 12% over the life of the 3-year contract to recruit and retain nurses for safe patient care.
- Beat back aggressive take aways on healthcare and safe staffing enforcement.
Over the last month and a half, NYSNA nurses were joined by Sen. Bernie Sanders, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, labor leaders, local elected officials, community allies, and more. To see photos, visit https://www.facebook.com/nynurses/.
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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.