Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian Return to Work After 41 Days of Historic Nurse Strike

On Thursday, NYSNA nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP) celebrated their return to work with a 6:30AM "walk-back" at NYP's Milstein Hospital. 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.

During this historic strike, nurses picketed through some of the coldest temperatures in the city and demonstrated their incredible resolve to protect patient and nurse safety through fair contracts. 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. Read more here!