Thousands of Nurses End Month-Long Strike at Two Major NYC Hospitals

Nurses at Mount Sinai and Montefiore hospitals ratify new contracts, return to work, as strike continues at NewYork-Presbyterian

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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Over 10,000 nurses in New York City have ended their month-long strike by returning to work at Mount Sinai and Montefiore hospitals. The nurses voted to ratify new three-year contracts that include pay increases, improved staffing standards, and protections against workplace violence. However, the strike continues at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where over 4,200 nurses remain on the picket line.

Why it matters

The nurses' strike at these major NYC hospitals highlighted ongoing issues around pay, benefits, and safe staffing levels for healthcare workers. The resolution of the strikes at Mount Sinai and Montefiore is a positive step, but the continued impasse at NewYork-Presbyterian shows that these labor disputes are far from over.

The details

The nurses began returning to work at Mount Sinai and Montefiore on Saturday, February 14th, in time for their 7 a.m. shifts. The new contracts include over 12% in pay increases over three years, as well as enforceable safe staffing standards and protections against workplace violence. However, the strike continues at NewYork-Presbyterian, where the union has requested new bargaining dates from the hospital management.

  • Nurses began returning to work at Mount Sinai and Montefiore on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
  • The nurses' strike at Mount Sinai and Montefiore lasted nearly one month.

The players

New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA)

The union representing the striking nurses at the three major NYC hospitals.

Mount Sinai Health System

One of the hospital systems where nurses went on strike and have now ratified a new contract.

Montefiore Health System

Another hospital system where nurses went on strike and have now ratified a new contract.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

The hospital where over 4,200 nurses remain on strike after rejecting the latest contract proposal.

Nancy Hagains

The president of the NYSNA union.

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What they’re saying

“After nearly one month in the freezing cold, nurses are happy to get back to their patients with contracts that improve care for New Yorkers. They showed their employers and this city the lengths they would go in order to protect their patients. They're stronger and more united than ever.”

— Nancy Hagains, President, New York State Nurses Association (amny.com)

“Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian are still in the fight, back at the picket line, and we need their employer to get back to the table and get their nurses back in the hospital like their union siblings.”

— Nancy Hagains, President, New York State Nurses Association (amny.com)

“Thank you again to everyone who played a role either big or small to help us navigate these challenges. We never lost sight of the fact that our patients always come first. Our short-term focus is on ensuring that we can rapidly return to normal operations.”

— Brendan Carr, CEO, Mount Sinai Health System (amny.com)

What’s next

NYSNA has requested new bargaining dates from NewYork-Presbyterian negotiators to try to resolve the ongoing strike at that hospital.

The takeaway

The resolution of the strikes at Mount Sinai and Montefiore is a positive step, but the continued impasse at NewYork-Presbyterian shows that the issues around pay, benefits, and safe staffing levels for nurses in New York City are far from settled. The labor disputes highlight the ongoing challenges facing the healthcare system and the need for continued negotiations and compromise to support frontline workers.