Nurses’ strike focuses on NY Presbyterian

New York City

Feb. 15. Some 4,200 nurses at New York Presbyterian (NYP) remain on the picket lines as the longest nurses strike in New York City history continues after five weeks. At the  two other hospital empires 10,500 nurses ratified contracts that include safe staffing ratios and are returning to work. 

NYP, the largest and wealthiest of the hospital systems, refused to include safe staffing or protection against layoffs in the negotiations. That hospital recently laid off 2% of its employees, some 1,000 workers, including nurses. New York State Nurses Association members at NYP rejected the offered contract by a large margin, in spite of union leadership urging them to settle.

The nurses have endured weeks without pay, loss of health benefits and hours picketing in sub-freezing weather but are preparing to continue the fight for a fair contract. On the picket line, nurses from the Emergency Department and the Operating Room, from Pediatrics to Oncology spoke of their determination to fight on. On Valentines Day strikers welcomed the solidarity of supporters from the Steelworkers union (USW). 

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul has repeatedly extended a “disaster emergency” decree that allows hospitals to hire out-of-state strikebreakers who are not licensed as nurses in New York. Hospitals have reportedly spent $100 million on so-called travel nurses making $9,000 per week. 

Ellen Catalinotto is a retired member of NYSNA.