New York Nurses Reach Deal with Hospitals to End Six-Week Strike

The agreement includes pay raises, staffing standards, and protections for nurses and patients.

Published on Mar. 1, 2026

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After a six-week strike, the New York State Nurses Association has reached a tentative deal with hospitals in New York City to end the longest nurses' strike in the city's history. The agreement includes enforceable staffing standards, protections for health benefits, measures to address workplace violence, and raises of over 12% for nurses over three years.

Why it matters

The nurses' strike highlighted ongoing issues around staffing levels, workplace safety, and compensation for healthcare workers in New York City. The resolution of the strike through a negotiated agreement represents a victory for the nurses' union and could serve as a model for future labor negotiations in the healthcare industry.

The details

About 15,000 nurses from the New York State Nurses Association went on strike on January 12th, walking out of Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West, Montefiore Einstein, and New York-Presbyterian/Columbia. The nurses were demanding higher pay, better staffing levels, and increased security to protect them from workplace violence. The three-year agreement reached includes enforceable staffing standards, protections for health benefits, measures to address workplace violence, and limits on the use of artificial intelligence in the workplace.

  • The nurses went on strike on January 12, 2026.
  • The strike lasted for six weeks, the longest in New York City history.
  • The tentative deal was reached on February 20, 2026.

The players

New York State Nurses Association

The union representing the 15,000 nurses who went on strike in New York City.

Mount Sinai Hospital

One of the hospitals affected by the nurses' strike.

New York-Presbyterian/Columbia

The last hospital with striking nurses, which reached a deal to end the strike.

Beth Loudin

A nurse and local union leader who led the union's bargaining committee at New York-Presbyterian Hospital.

Angela Karafazli

A spokesperson for New York-Presbyterian/Columbia.

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What they’re saying

“This has been a long, hard fight, but we are proud of what we achieved. With the strength of our nurses and the support of our community and allies, we showed the hospital that nurses will not compromise on our patients' care.”

— Beth Loudin, Nurse and local union leader (UPI)

“We are pleased to have reached a tentative settlement with NYSNA, through the mediator, that reflects our tremendous respect for our nurses.”

— Angela Karafazli, Spokesperson (UPI)

“For a month and a half, through some of the harshest weather this city has seen in years, nurses at NYP showed this city that they won't make any compromises to patient care. They stood in the cold, snow, ice and wind, along with their union siblings, fighting back management's attempts to cut corners on care and secured contracts that improve enforceable safe staffing ratios, improve protections from workplace violence and maintain health benefits with no additional out-of-pocket costs for frontline nurses.”

— Nancy Hagans, President of the nurses' union (UPI)

What’s next

The nurses could vote on whether to ratify the deal as early as today. They had previously rejected a previous deal.

The takeaway

The resolution of the nurses' strike through a negotiated agreement represents a victory for the nurses' union and could serve as a model for future labor negotiations in the healthcare industry, as it addresses key issues around staffing, workplace safety, and compensation for healthcare workers.