Nurses Reject Deal, NewYork-Presbyterian Strike Continues as Job Security Becomes Central Issue

NEW YORK - The nurses’ strike at NewYork-Presbyterian is set to continue after a crushing rejection of a proposed contract, extending what is already the longest nurses’ strike in New York City history.

More than 70 percent of the roughly 4,200 striking nurses voted down the tentative agreement negotiated by their own union, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA). The deal would have ended the 31-day walkout.

Hospital officials said the proposal included more than 12 percent wage increases over three years, protected pensions, continued health benefits, and the addition of 65 staff positions, along with improved staffing levels and workplace protections.

Nurses at Montefiore Medical Center and the Mount Sinai system had already accepted similar deals earlier in the week, ending their strikes.

But for many NewYork-Presbyterian nurses, one key issue was missing: job security.

Members of the bargaining committee said the contract lacked language to prevent layoffs. They pointed to a workforce reduction in May, when about 40 union nurses and nurse practitioners reportedly lost their jobs and were replaced by non-union workers.

That experience fueled anger on the picket lines and ultimately led to the deal’s rejection.

The dispute has also sparked tension between nurses and their own union leadership. Bargaining committee members said they were given only about 10 minutes’ notice before the union announced the tentative deal and called for a vote.

Outraged nurses staged protests and delivered a petition signed by more than 1,500 workers demanding an investigation into the union’s actions.

Union leaders defended the move, saying all members deserved a chance to vote and stressing their goal of getting nurses back to work as quickly as possible.

With the contract rejected, talks are now stalled and no new bargaining sessions have been scheduled.

For now, the strike continues with thousands of nurses staying on the picket lines as the fight shifts from pay and staffing to a deeper battle over job security and trust inside their own union.