New York City, After three days of picketing by 7,000 nurses at two private hospital systems, the strike has ended.
With Mount Sinai Health System and Montefiore Health System, which run the three Bronx hospitals that were the subject of a strike, the New York State Nurses Association union signed tentative agreements. The nurses had been arguing that severe staffing shortages had led to widespread burnout, which was preventing them from providing their patients with the care they need.
For all inpatient units at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, the agreement will establish enforceable “safe staffing ratios,” according to the union, “so that there will always be enough nurses at the bedside to deliver safe patient care, not only on paper.” Montefiore Hospital consented to pay fines if agreed-upon staffing ratios in all units weren’t followed.
According to Montefiore, the agreement also includes the addition of “substantially more nurses” in the emergency room, the creation of 170 new nursing positions, a wage increase of 19% over the course of the contract’s duration of three years, and lifetime health coverage for qualified retirees. Additionally, the wage increase will take place over the course of the duration of the contract. Additionally, the period of the contract has been extended to three years from its original two years.
The agreements were made public extremely early on Thursday morning, at three in the morning Eastern Time (ET) for Montefiore and roughly half an hour later for Mount Sinai. Both hospitals are located in the United States.
All procedures, treatments, and outpatient visits that are scheduled for Thursday and the days that will follow will go ahead as planned, according to a statement that was issued by Montefiore Medical Center when the nurses reported back to work for the 7 a.m. Eastern Time shift on Thursday. The statement was released when the nurses reported back to work.
Before the agreement can be put into operation, it is necessary for the majority of the nurses to provide their approval for the agreement to be carried out. On the other hand, the nurses’ union stated that the strike agreement will make it simpler for more registered nurses to obtain jobs, which will ultimately lead to patients receiving better medical treatment.
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New York Nurse Union Statement
“We gained enforceable safe staffing ratios at both Montefiore and Mount Sinai where nurses went on strike for patient care through our solidarity and by putting it all on the line,” the nurses union said in a statement. Today, we can go back to work with confidence because we know that our triumph will result in safer patient care and more secure employment for our profession.
The arrangement was described as “fair and responsible” by Mount Sinai.
According to a statement from Mount Sinai, “our proposed arrangement is identical to those between NYSNA and eight other New York City hospitals.” It prioritises the needs of the patients and is just and accountable.
According to a statement from Montefiore, “We came to the table dedicated to bargaining in good faith and addressing the problems that were priorities for our nursing staff.” “We were dedicated to reaching a resolution as soon as possible to minimise disruption to patient care because we recognise this strike affected everyone, not just our nurses,” the statement continued.
In order to prevent strikes by around 9,000 additional nurses dispersed across seven hospitals in the city, the union representing the nurses struck tentative agreements offering the same 19% wage increases at other New York hospitals. The more acute staffing shortfalls at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, according to the nurses at the hospitals who went on strike, must be resolved before an agreement can be made, they claimed.
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Conclusion
The nurses’ strike at two private hospital systems in New York City has officially come to an end after three days on the picket line. In total, 7,000 nurses participated in the walkout that took place.
Both the Mount Sinai Health System and the Montefiore Health System, which are jointly responsible for the management of three hospitals in the Bronx, were able to reach a preliminary deal with the New York State Nurses Association union.
This agreement paves the way for further negotiations. The nurses have been stating that huge staffing shortages have resulted in widespread burnout, which, in turn, affects their ability to offer patients with the required degree of care.
The agreement also includes the addition of “substantially more nurses” in the emergency room, in addition to 170 new nursing positions, a 19% increase in compensation over the course of the three-year length of the contract, lifetime health care for qualified retirees, and a variety of other benefits.
