NEW YORK CITY (WABC) — Thousands of nurses at hospitals across New York City could go on strike January 12 if new agreements are not reached by deadline.<\/p>\n
The New York State Nurses Association says thousands of nurses at area private-sector hospitals could walk off the job on January 12 after their contracts expired on December 31.<\/p>\n
If hospitals do not agree to new contracts, it could be the biggest nurse strike in New York City’s history.<\/p>\n
On Friday, nurses at Northwell facilities signed a tentative agreement, averting a strike on Long Island.<\/p>\n
“This agreement reaffirms our commitment of enabling a supportive work environment and provides our nurses with competitive compensation and benefits. We are pleased to move forward together,” Northwell Health’s statement read.<\/p>\n
The future remains uncertain for nurses in NYC.<\/p>\n
“Negotiations continue at Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West, Montefiore and New York Presbyterian,” NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN said. “If the wealthiest hospitals do not follow the lead of safety net hospitals and negotiate a fair contract, NYSNA will have no other choice but to strike on Monday.”<\/p>\n
The key points in contract negotiations are healthcare benefits for frontline nurses and staffing standards.<\/p>\n
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans also cited hospital safety and workplace violence as an important factor in negotiations, referencing recent events including the Jan. 9th incident where NYPD officers shot and killed an armed man they say barricaded himself and two others inside of a hospital room.<\/a><\/p>\n “Our colleagues who work at Methodist are traumatized. The latest tragedy follows an active shooter incident that occurred in November at Mount Sinai Hospital,” Hagans said.<\/p>\n Last week<\/a>, a spokesperson for Mount Sinai released a statement, saying; “NYSNA is yet again threatening to force nurses to walk away from patients’ bedsides – this time while continuing to insist on increasing average nurse pay by $100,000. NYSNA has acknowledged that federal funding cuts will cost New York hospitals $8 billion and 35,000 jobs, but just three years after its last strike the union is showing once again it is willing to use patients as bargaining chips, this time while pushing billions of dollars in economic demands that would compromise the financial health of our entire system and threaten the financial stability of hospitals across New York City. We will continue to work in good faith to reach an agreement before the strike, however, after months of preparation, our system is ready for every outcome so we can maintain high-quality patient care and continue to serve our patients and communities across New York.”<\/p>\n * Get Eyewitness News Delivered<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n * Follow us on YouTube<\/a><\/strong> <\/p>\n * More local news<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n * Send us a news tip<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n