In a historic display of labor unrest, nearly 15,000 nurses across New York City launched a strike on Monday, January 12, 2026, after contract negotiations with several of the city’s largest hospitals collapsed without resolution. The walkout, which began at 6 a.m. at Mount Sinai Hospital and spread to other locations an hour later, marks the largest nurses’ strike in the city’s history, according to the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA).
The strike affects five major, privately-run hospitals: Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West, NewYork-Presbyterian in Manhattan, and Montefiore Einstein in the Bronx. Nurses formed picket lines outside these institutions, their chants and the clatter of drums echoing through the early morning. Their message was clear: they want higher pay, increased staffing to manage patient loads, fully funded benefits, and stronger workplace protections against violence.
The nurses’ previous contracts expired on December 31, 2025. Despite marathon bargaining sessions over the weekend, union leaders and hospital executives failed to bridge the gap on several sticking points. NYSNA President Nancy Hagans criticized hospital leadership, saying, “Unfortunately, greedy hospital executives have decided to put profits above safe patient care and force nurses out on strike when we would rather be at the bedsides of our patients,” as reported by ABC7 and Gothamist.
Hagans emphasized that nurses were willing to negotiate on salaries but said, “They have failed to deliver meaningful counter proposals and are still threatening healthcare cuts for frontline nurses.” She insisted, “We are ready to bargain all day and night to avoid a strike tomorrow.”
Hospitals, for their part, have rejected accusations of bad faith. In a memo to employees, Mount Sinai CEO Dr. Brendan Carr said there remained “a long list of items left to negotiate and a labor disruption continues to appear to be very likely.” He maintained that the hospital had “brought in more than 1,400 outside nurses in preparation for the strike,” and that patient safety remained the top priority. NewYork-Presbyterian echoed this sentiment, stating, “We remain focused on our patients and their care. This strike is designed to create disruption, but we have taken the necessary steps so our patients continue to receive the care they trust us to provide.”
City and state officials have scrambled to keep the healthcare system stable amid the labor stoppage. Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on January 9, 2026, warning that the strike “could jeopardize the lives of thousands of New Yorkers and patients.” Her executive order allows doctors, nurses, and other clinicians licensed in other states or Canada to temporarily practice in New York. Hochul also ordered Department of Health staff to be onsite at affected hospitals for the duration of the strike to monitor operations and patient care.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who was endorsed by NYSNA, stood in solidarity with the striking nurses, joining picketers outside NewYork-Presbyterian in Washington Heights. “In every one of our city's darkest periods, nurses showed up to work. Their value is not negotiable and their worth is not up for debate,” he declared, as quoted by ABC7. Mamdani stressed that nurses “should settle for nothing less” than dignity, respect, and fair pay. He added, “They must bargain in good faith and they must arrive at a deal that is satisfactory to all, that allows the nurses who work in this city to live in this city.”
Mamdani also highlighted the stark pay disparity between hospital executives and frontline nurses. According to ABC7, Montefiore’s CEO made more than $16 million in 2025, while NewYork-Presbyterian’s CEO took home $26 million. “There is no shortage of wealth in the healthcare industry,” Mamdani said, underscoring the nurses’ demands for safeguarded pensions, workplace protection, and fair compensation.
Union leaders and many nurses say that the strike is about more than just pay. They cite chronic understaffing, rising workplace violence, and the need for robust health benefits as central issues. “Health care workers are being stretched to their limits, and as workplace violence in hospitals is on the rise, nurses are asking simply for the basics,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said at a news conference with Mamdani, according to ABC7. In response to recent violence, including a police shooting at NewYork-Presbyterian Methodist Hospital, nurses have demanded additional safety protocols such as panic buttons and metal detectors.
Hospital representatives have pushed back, calling some of the union’s demands “reckless and irresponsible.” In a joint statement, Montefiore, Mount Sinai, and NewYork-Presbyterian accused the nurses of “abandoning patients in their time of need” and insisted that “our institutions will do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions to the delivery of the safe, high-quality care we are known for.”
Despite the charged rhetoric, hospital officials have insisted that emergency rooms and essential services remain operational. Montefiore said it is preparing for a strike that could last multiple weeks, while Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian have assured the public that patients should not delay treatment or put off appointments. Still, the transition hasn’t been seamless. Some patients and families have reported disruptions, particularly in specialized units. Odalis Perez Munoz, whose daughter is at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, told ABC7 that the influx of temporary nurses has caused “chaos because they don't understand the level of care we need and have been getting from our nurses out on strike.”
The union has also filed unfair labor practice charges against Mount Sinai, alleging that management forced union nurses to train their replacements. Meanwhile, some striking nurses have faced logistical challenges, such as difficulties accessing prescriptions at hospital pharmacies. Montefiore responded that striking nurses can have medications delivered to their homes and may visit inpatients with proper documentation.
Negotiations remain at an impasse. The hospitals argue that their wage proposals are generous, especially given looming federal healthcare cuts. “We have proposed significant wage increases that keep our nurses among the highest paid in the region, enhancements to their already outstanding benefits, and new strategies that demonstrate our shared commitment to safe staffing,” NewYork-Presbyterian said in a statement shared with Gothamist. Montefiore’s chief nurse executive, Maureen Scanlan, noted that nurses receive premium-free health insurance with no copays within the network and pledged “continued, unchanged care.”
Union officials, however, point to smaller hospitals that have already reached tentative deals with NYSNA, agreeing to match whatever salary increases are ultimately settled with the larger hospital systems. These smaller institutions, the union argues, demonstrate that fair contracts are possible even with fewer resources.
While the city’s healthcare system is under strain, officials stress that hospitals are open and care continues. The Office of Emergency Management and other agencies are monitoring hospital capacity, ready to divert or transfer patients as needed. NYSNA leaders have reassured the public that seeking care is not crossing a picket line and have encouraged patients to stay informed about any changes to appointments or procedures.
This unprecedented strike has laid bare the tensions between frontline healthcare workers and hospital leadership, spotlighting issues of pay equity, staffing, and workplace safety. As negotiations grind on, the city watches closely, hoping for a resolution that honors the work of nurses and safeguards the health of all New Yorkers.
