Riverdale nurses join hospital strike over staffing and pay
Riverdale nurses joined thousands in a strike against major hospitals that workers believe are putting profit over patient care.
On Jan. 12, nearly 15,000 healthcare workers took to the streets, according to the New York State Nurses Association, making it the largest strike in city history. They are demanding protection from workplace violence, fully funded healthcare benefits, wage increases and safe staffing to improve patient care.
Strikes targeted several Mount Sinai, Montefiore and NewYork-Presbyterian locations across Manhattan and the Bronx.
Before the sun rose, six Riverdale women met their colleagues who were coming off of the night shift outside 1468 Madison Ave., Mount Sinai’s Morningside Heights location. Bundled up against the cold, some wore red beanies representing their union, while others held signs that read “Every patient is a VIP” and “Stop threatening nurses.”
“We are here united,” described nurse practitioner Sara Rubenstein. “It’s a very powerful thing to be a part of.”
Midwife Lauren Abrams was a part of nurses’ strikes three years ago. In January 2023, about 7,000 Mount Sinai and Montefiore workers walked off for three days in protest of chronic understaffing. Hospitals complied by hiring more nurses and setting minimum staff requirements.
Abrams fears that Mount Sinai is attempting to claw back the progress nurses made three years ago, claiming the hospital doesn’t have the money to meet NYSNA terms.
On the morning of the strike, Mount Sinai released a statement that said NYSNA refused to “move on from its extreme economic demands.” The hospital added it was ready with 1,400 qualified and specialized nurses and prepared to continue care for the remainder of the strike.
“They’re putting patient lives at risk by hiring inexperienced nurses to take our place while we have to stand out here in the cold and ask for the basics we deserve,” Abrams said.
In its statement, Mount Sinai added that by the third year of the union’s proposed contract, its budget for nursing costs would more than double. The average registered nurse would see a wage increase of more than $92,000, making total earnings $254,000.
NYSNA said it is likely untrue Mount Sinai and the other hospitals can’t afford the proposal. According to the union, Mount Sinai, Montefiore and NewYork-Presbyterian have over $1.6 billion in cash or cash equivalents on hand, and have spent $100 million on temporary travel nurses.
The healthcare workers said it was not just one issue, but a buildup of times they felt concerns weren’t addressed. Labor and delivery nurse Sandy Mateo pointed to last November, when an armed man threatened to shoot up the hospital. He was killed by police, and NYSNA said staff members attempted to save his life when he entered the hospital as a trauma patient.
Negotiations began two months prior that then involved over 20,000 NYSNA nurses across 12 hospitals demanding fair contracts by Dec. 31, prompted by looming Medicaid cuts and less hospital funding.
On Jan. 2, those nurses gave a ten-day strike warning, and some in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island were able to settle contracts. The nearly fifteen thousand others went on strike.
Riverdale workers say they don’t know how long the strike will last, but remain determined.
“I feel confident, and what we’re fighting for is definitely worth it,” said midwife Ironelly Lorenzo. “We’re fighting for respect.”
By press time on Jan. 13, no progress in negotiations had been made and the strike was going into its second day.
