NYC Nursing Walkout Ends as Last Striking Nurses Approve New Contract

More than 4,000 nurses in the NewYork-Presbyterian system voted to ratify a three-year contract, ending a major strike that lasted over a month.

Feb. 22, 2026 at 5:18am

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Nurses at the privately run NewYork-Presbyterian hospital system in New York City have approved a new contract, voting to end a major nursing strike that lasted over a month. The strike initially involved around 15,000 nurses at three major hospital systems in the city, but the NewYork-Presbyterian nurses were the last to reach a deal with the union.

Why it matters

The nursing strike highlighted ongoing tensions between healthcare workers and hospital systems over issues like staffing levels, workloads, and benefits. The resolution of this strike is significant as it marks the end of a major labor dispute that disrupted healthcare services in New York City for over a month.

The details

The new three-year contract includes staffing improvements, raises topping 12% over three years, and safeguards on the use of artificial intelligence. During the strike, the hospitals brought in thousands of temporary nurses, transferred some patients, and canceled some procedures, though they insisted they were still delivering care smoothly.

  • The nurses went on strike on January 12, 2026.
  • The nurses voted to ratify the new contract on February 22, 2026.

The players

New York State Nurses Association

The union representing the striking nurses at the three major New York City hospital systems.

NewYork-Presbyterian

The privately run hospital system where over 4,000 nurses went on strike and have now approved a new contract, ending the walkout.

Montefiore

One of the other major private hospital systems in New York City where nurses went on strike, but reached a contract agreement earlier this month.

Mount Sinai

Another major private hospital system in New York City where nurses went on strike, but reached a contract agreement earlier this month.

Nancy Hagans

President of the New York State Nurses Association.

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What’s next

The nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian are expected to start returning to work in the coming week now that the contract has been ratified.

The takeaway

The resolution of this major nursing strike in New York City underscores the ongoing challenges and tensions between healthcare workers and hospital systems, but also demonstrates that through collective bargaining, meaningful compromises can be reached to address the concerns of both sides.