New York City’s Biggest Nurses’ Strike Hits Day Three as Talks Completely Stall [Video]

New York City’s hospital labor fight showed no signs of cooling off on Wednesday as the largest nurse strike in the city’s history stretched into a third day with talks still stalled.

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Nearly 15,000 nurses remain off the job across three private hospital systems: Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian. Despite multiple rounds of negotiations, neither side has announced a breakthrough, keeping pressure on hospital leadership and union officials as staffing concerns continue to dominate the conversation.

Montefiore has taken a hard public stance against the union’s proposals, accusing leadership of pushing what it described as “reckless demands” and “troubling proposals.” Hospital officials specifically pointed to a provision they claim would block termination of nurses even if they were found to be impaired by drugs or alcohol while working.

“NYSNA leadership’s demand that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job is another example of putting their own self-interest before patient safety,” Montefiore officials said.

The New York State Nurses Association pushed back, saying the hospital was “blatantly mischaracterizing” the proposal. According to the union, the measure is meant to provide safeguards for nurses dealing with substance use disorders and mirrors policies already in place at other hospitals statewide.

Hospital systems affected by the strike have emphasized that operations continue. Montefiore Einstein shared a memo from President and CEO Philip Ozuah stating, “Our Montefiore Einstein colleagues have rallied as a team to ensure the continued provision of the highest quality of care for all who seek us out at their most vulnerable. We have not canceled even one patient’s access to care.”

Mount Sinai also reported that participation among nurses choosing not to strike has increased, saying the number has risen from 20 percent to 23 percent as the standoff continues.