NYC politicians back nurses on first day of strike

It’s time for the city to stand with some of the health care heroes who carried us through the COVID-19 pandemic, local elected officials said Monday, as over 7,000 nurses at two New York City hospitals went on strike amid an impasse in contract negotiations. “Let's remember the darkest days of the pandemic, when we couldn't imagine NYC without our nurses,” Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, a registered nurse herself, wrote on Twitter. “Now with that in mind, give these healthcare heroes the fair contract they earned and deserve.”

Rep. Jamaal Bowman and New York City Comptroller Brad Lander were among those who joined the picket line Monday morning, while state Attorney General Letitia James declared at a press conference outside Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan that she stands with the striking nurses. Among others who expressed solidarity were Rep. Grace Meng, City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, city council Health Committee Chair Lynn Schulman and state Senate Health Committee Chair Gustavo Rivera. And while she’s not an actual R.N., you can bet Council Member Sandy Nurse was backing the nurses too. 

While the New York State Nurses Association reached tentative contract agreements for nurses at several other hospitals in the final days before the looming strike, negotiations have stalled at Mount Sinai and at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. NYSNA has said that a major sticking point in negotiations is ensuring higher staffing levels.