NEW YORK — Nearly 15,000 nurses walked off the job on Monday, launching what union officials said was the largest nurses’ strike in New York City’s history as they demanded safer staffing levels, better working conditions, and a fair contract.
Members of the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) rallied outside NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital’s Columbia campus and several other facilities, holding signs and chanting in support of patient safety reforms.
“We are participating in the largest nurses’ strike in New York City today,” said registered nurse Stephanie Miceli. “We’re advocating for our patients to ensure better care and safety while they’re in the hospital.”
Workers said persistent understaffing has forced them to juggle too many patients at once, compromising care and fueling burnout. “There are too many patients, there are not enough nurses,” said AJ K., a registered nurse. “I want to be at the bedside, but I’m constantly running from room to room.”
Miceli, who works in the intensive care unit, described the pace as unrelenting. “We are constantly running to the point where sometimes we don’t even get to take a break,” she said.
Union officials said the walkout came after months of negotiations in which hospital administrators failed to address what nurses called essential concerns, including staffing ratios, healthcare benefits, and workplace safety.
Protesters carried placards that read “Patients Over Profits” and “Safe Nurses = Safe Patients,” while supporters waved from nearby structures as ambulances drove through the picket line.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani joined the demonstration and urged both sides to return to the bargaining table. “They are not asking for a multi-million dollar salary,” he said.
“They are asking for the pay and health benefits that they deserve.” He called on hospitals and the union to “bargain in good faith” and reach a deal that would allow nurses “who work in this city to live in this city.”