New York Nurses’ Strike Ends After 6 Weeks as Last Holdouts Approve Deal

More than 4,000 nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia hospital voted overwhelmingly to end a six-week strike and return to work after approving a three-year contract that provides raises and protections against layoffs. At its height the strike involved nearly 15,000 workers at several major hospitals, including Montefiore Medical Center and three hospitals in the Mount Sinai Health System.

The action led some facilities to transfer vulnerable patients, postpone elective surgeries and hire thousands of replacement nurses from across the country at far higher wages. The Columbia nurses had been a holdout group after about 10,000 nurses at other hospitals ratified deals and returned.

The contract offers raises of about 12 percent over three years, includes safeguards on artificial intelligence for the first time, and, the union said, improves staffing standards. Of those who voted on the deal, 93 percent were in favor after an earlier proposed contract had been roundly rejected.

United States, New York

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