NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Mount Sinai Health System canceled a bargaining session with the New York State Nurses Association on Friday as ahead of the strike deadline slated for Monday.
Mount Sinai also walked away from overnight negotiations on Thursday that lasted into the early hours of Friday morning.
“Today, we continued to bargain in good faith with the union, meeting with an impartial mediator well past midnight,” said NYSNA, which is representing about 10,000 nurses at five New York City hospitals in this negotiation.
Mount Sinai claims management offered a 19.1% wage increase over the next three years to nurses — an offer it says is comparable to deals struck with other hospitals that have already reached an agreement with the union.
“Mount Sinai is dismayed by NYSNA’s reckless actions. The union is jeopardizing patients’ care, and it’s forcing valued Mount Sinai nurses to choose between their dedication to patient care and their own livelihoods,” said Mount Sinai in a statement. “It’s not reasonable for NYSNA to ask for a significant wage increase above and beyond these other sites.”
While NYSNA is advocating for pay increases, the main sticking point is a demand for a minimum staffing ratio that would ensure nurses aren’t caring for a dangerous number of patients.
New York-Presbyterian, which has already agreed on a contract, pledged to replace its current system of non-binding staffing recommendations with an enforced staff to patient ratio.
The union has also reached agreement with Maimonides Health and Richmond University Medical Center.
Negotiations continue with BronxCare Health System, Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Montefiore Bronx and Mount Sinai.
As the deadline fast approaches, hospitals are preparing for the strike by drawing up plans for diverting ambulances, canceling elective surgeries and speeding up patient discharge.
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