Nearly 15,000 nurses across New York City have hit the streets, marking the largest nurse strike in the city’s history over stalled contract negotiations.

The strike began on Jan. 12 and carried into the following day, affecting major New York City hospitals, including Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian, ABC 7 NY reports. With the New York State Nurses Association contract having expired on Dec. 31, the union is demanding higher pay, increased staffing, fully funded benefits, and stronger workplace protections against violence.

By 6 a.m. on Jan. 12, nurses flooded the streets in red hats and red gloves, banging drums and blowing whistles in a peaceful protest. They received backing from Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who joined the strike and praised their fight as one for dignity, fairness, and the future of New York City’s healthcare system.

“There is no shortage of wealth in the healthcare industry,” Mamdani said. “The CEO of Montefiore made more than $16 million last year. The CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian made $26 million. But too many nurses can’t make ends meet.”

NYC nurses are striking — You might want to double-check that appointment. They’re demanding better pay, safer staffing, and protections, because apparently “doing everything” doesn’t pay the bills. Hospitals brace for delays, chaos, and temp staff scrambling. pic.twitter.com/1q3tXzFgrk— April Color (@ColorApril) January 13, 2026

The mayor stated the city is focused on safeguarding both patients and healthcare workers during the strike and urged hospital leaders and union representatives to resume negotiations immediately. Mount Sinai, however, blamed the strike on what it called the union’s “extreme economic demands.”

“Unfortunately, NYSNA decided to move forward with its strike while refusing to move on from its extreme economic demands, which we can not agree to, but we are ready with 1,400 qualified and specialized nurses — and prepared to continue to provide safe patient care for as long as this strike lasts,” Mount Sinai said in a statement.

The impacted hospitals have brought in large numbers of temporary nurses to cover staffing shortages. Both union members and hospital administrators have encouraged patients to continue seeking care during the strike. The private, nonprofit hospitals say they’ve improved staffing in recent years and describe the union’s demands as financially unsustainable.

This strike comes three years after a previous walkout that forced hospitals to transfer patients and reroute ambulances. A Mount Sinai spokesperson said that on the first day of the current strike, 20% of nurses crossed the picket line, and they expect more staff to return in the coming days.

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