NYC Nurse Strike Update: 15,000 Nurses Officially on Strike, Largest in City’s History
After weeks of tense negotiations and last-minute tentative deals at some sites, nearly 15,000 nurses at major New York City hospitals have officially launched a strike today — marking the largest nurses’ walkout in the city’s history.
The strike affects key facilities including Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai West, Mount Sinai Morningside, Montefiore Medical Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center after contract talks failed to meet union demands on safe staffing, wages, workplace violence protections, and benefit safeguards.
Earlier in the week, nurses at several smaller NYC hospitals reached tentative agreements, prompting those facilities to rescind their strike notices.
Nancy Hagans, President of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA), emphasized the stakes, saying: “Hospital management refuses to address our most important issues — patient and nurse safety. It is shameful that the city’s richest hospitals refuse to continue healthcare benefits for frontline nurses, refuse to staff safely for our patients, and refuse to protect us from workplace violence.”
State Response:
In anticipation of and response to the walkout, Governor Kathy Hochul issued Executive Order No. 56 on Friday, declaring a State Disaster Emergency in Bronx, Nassau, New York, and contiguous counties due to healthcare staffing shortages tied to the strike and an ongoing severe influenza surge. The order — in effect through February 8, 2026 — temporarily suspends or modifies licensure requirements, regardless of Nurse Licensure Compact participation, to allow out-of-state or non-registered healthcare professionals to practice in New York, helping hospitals staff critical services during the labor action.
Momentum has shifted in New York City’s ongoing contract negotiations between hospitals and nurses. Strike notices were rescinded at several facilities after reaching tentative agreements following negotiations over safe staffing, workplace safety, and pension protections — but a large-scale walkout remains possible.
Nurses at seven NYC safety-net hospitals reached tentative agreements with management, prompting the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) to withdraw previously issued 10-day strike notices at those sites. The hospitals include:
- Flushing Hospital Medical Center
- Maimonides Medical Center
- One Brooklyn Health’s Interfaith Medical Center
- One Brooklyn Health’s Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center
- The Brooklyn Hospital Center
- Wyckoff Heights Medical Center
- Richmond University Medical Center
Wyckoff Heights Medical Center President and CEO Vali Gache told Becker’s, “We are very happy to have avoided a strike,” adding that the hospital is “continuing to negotiate actively and in good faith” and looks forward to “reaching a labor agreement soon.” Richmond University Medical Center emphasized that not proceeding with a strike allows the hospital to maintain uninterrupted care, stating, “We value our nurses and respect the important role they play every day in caring for our patients and their families.”
However, the risk of a broader strike has not been eliminated. After rescinding the notices at the seven hospitals, the union reported there are still more than 16,700 nurses poised to strike at the remaining NYC and Long Island hospitals if no deals are reached by the Jan. 12 deadline.
Negotiations continue at major hospital systems, where unresolved issues include safe staffing levels, wages, health benefits, and workplace safety protections. Nurses have emphasized that any final agreements must address chronic understaffing and retention challenges.
Original Article – 1/5/26
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) has delivered 10-day strike notices to hospitals across New York City and Long Island, setting the stage for what could become the largest nurse strike in New York City history.
The notices were delivered on Friday, January 2, 2026, and affect up to 20,000–21,000 unionized nurses at 15 hospitals — including 12 private-sector hospitals in NYC and 3 on Long Island. If a last-minute agreement is not reached, a strike could begin as early as January 12, 2026.
Key Dates and Numbers
- Strike Authorization Vote: December 22, 2025
- 97% of participating nurses voted to authorize a strike
- Contract Expiration: December 31, 2025
- 10-Day Strike Notice Delivered: January 2, 2026
- Potential Strike Start Date: January 12, 2026
- Nurses Affected: Up to 20,000–21,000 healthcare workers
According to NYSNA, the strike authorization centers on three core issues that nurses say directly impact patient safety and the sustainability of the profession:
1. Safe Staffing Levels
Nurses are demanding enforceable, contractual staffing ratios, citing years of unsafe patient loads that worsened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Wages and Compensation
Union leaders say nurses’ pay has not kept pace with:
- Inflation
- Rising workloads
- Increased reliance on travel nurses
3. Healthcare Benefits
Nurses are also seeking guarantees that protect their health insurance and benefits, which they say are essential to retention and workforce stability.
This labor action highlights ongoing challenges nurses across the country continue to face:
- Patient safety risks caused by chronic understaffing
- Burnout and retention issues from unsustainable workloads
- Economic pressure on frontline healthcare workers despite rising hospital executive compensation
NYSNA leaders emphasize that the strike threat is not about walking away from patients, but about protecting them.
This is not the first time NYC nurses have taken collective action. In January 2023, more than 7,000 nurses went on strike at major hospitals including:
- Mount Sinai Hospital
- Montefiore Health System
- Wyckoff Heights Medical Center
After three days of picketing, nurses reached tentative agreements and returned to work.
What Nurses Achieved in 2023
According to NYSNA, the 2023 strike resulted in several key wins:
- Enforceable safe staffing language at Mount Sinai and Montefiore
- Financial penalties for hospitals that failed to meet staffing requirements
- Immediate implementation of new staffing standards in certain units
- Community-focused commitments, including nurse recruitment initiatives
- Nurse-student partnerships aimed at building a local pipeline of nurses
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans called the outcome a “historic victory,” stating that nurses proved collective action could lead to real, enforceable improvements in patient care.
Despite the 2023 agreements, nurses say unsafe staffing and retention issues persist and in some cases have worsened.
During the 2023 strike, nurses reported:
- Nurse-to-patient ratios increasing from 1:4 to 1:6
- Missed breaks and meals
- Emergency department assignments as high as 20 patients per nurse
Union leaders say many of the same structural problems remain today, which is why nurses are again preparing to strike if negotiations fail.
As of January 5, 2026, contract negotiations are ongoing between NYSNA and the affected hospitals.
The 97% strike authorization vote signals near-unanimous support among nurses and represents one of the strongest strike mandates NYSNA has ever recorded.
Hospitals and state leaders have not yet announced contingency plans should a strike occur.
NYSNA has emphasized that patients should not delay seeking care if a strike begins.
During past strikes, hospitals have taken measures such as:
- Discharging or transferring patients
- Postponing elective procedures
- Hiring temporary replacement staff
Nurses stress that they are striking for patient safety, not against it, and that seeking necessary medical care is never considered crossing a picket line.
If no agreement is reached:
- NYSNA may legally begin a strike on January 12, 2026
- Picketing would occur at affected hospitals across NYC and Long Island
- The action could surpass the scale of the 2023 strike
Nurse.org will continue to update this story as negotiations develop.
