NEW YORK — Nearly 15,000 nurses at several major local hospitals went on strike today, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026. The walkout began during morning shift changes between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.

The strike affects Montefiore Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian’s Columbia campus, and Mount Sinai’s main, West, and Morningside campuses. To prepare for the strike, Governor Kathy Hochul declared a state of emergency on Friday, Jan. 9. The declaration helps hospitals keep emergency services running until the strike ends.

Union Demands and Safety Concerns

The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) is demanding safer staffing levels to limit the number of patients assigned to each nurse. The union also wants to protect health benefits and improve workplace safety. The nurses’ previous contract expired on Dec. 31, 2025.

Security concerns grew after a violent incident at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital on Thursday, Jan. 8. Police said they killed an armed suspect after he barricaded himself in a room and ran at them with a weapon. The union says better security is a main reason for the strike.

Pay remains a major point of disagreement. Mount Sinai representatives said the union’s demands for pay and benefits would cost the hospital a total of $275,000 per nurse over three years. Union leaders, however, noted the current offers would only increase a nurse's yearly salary by $4,500. They also highlighted high pay for top hospital bosses, noting that the chief executive of NewYork-Presbyterian made $26 million in 2024.

Hospital Response and Backup Plans

Kenneth E. Raske, president of the Greater New York Hospital Association, said hospitals are facing financial trouble. He blamed a new law signed by President Trump in July for cutting the federal funding they rely on.

Hospital officials have made these backup plans to stay open during the strike:

  • Hiring temporary nurses from outside the area to help fill the gaps
  • Postponing surgeries that are not emergencies
  • Moving critically ill patients and babies in newborn intensive care units (NICUs) to other hospitals
  • Reserving hotel rooms for temporary replacement staff