Nearly 15,000 Nurses Strike at Three Major New York Hospitals

People reported nearly 15,000 nurses at three major New York City hospitals — Montefiore, New York-Presbyterian and Mount Sinai — walked off the job on Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, beginning an historic strike. New York State Nursing Association president Nancy Hagans said in a video statement that striking was a last resort and accused "greedy hospital management at wealthy private hospitals" of leaving nurses no choice; she named safe staffing, protection from workplace violence and healthcare for frontline nurses as the "key sticking points." The union is also demanding higher pay, per The New York Times, as nurses report rising incidents of workplace violence — a 2023 survey by National Nurses United found more than 80% of nurses experienced violence within the prior year.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood with striking nurses at New York-Presbyterian, wearing a red NYSNA scarf, and said "Their value is not negotiable" in a video of his appearance shared to the NYSNA Facebook page. Hospital groups pushed back. Montefiore senior vice president Joe Solmonese said NYSNA was pressing "$3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases," and criticized union proposals about discipline for nurses compromised by drugs or alcohol, while saying the system remains committed to safe care regardless of strike length.

Key Topics

Health, Nysna, Montefiore, New York-presbyterian, Mount Sinai, Zohran Mamdani