New York State Nurses Association cites staffing commitments and 12% raises after 39 days; members set to vote on ratification
NewYork-Presbyterian nurses reached a tentative agreement with the hospital to end a 39-day strike, the New York State Nurses Association said. The union said the deal includes commitments to hire more nurses in key understaffed units, with priority for the emergency department and cath lab, improved enforceable staffing standards, and 12% raises over three years. The contract, which the union described as ending the longest nurses’ strike of its kind in New York City history, is pending a member ratification vote.
In California, more than 500 operating engineers at Kaiser Permanente represented by the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 501 are set to begin an open-ended strike on February 23, joining an ongoing walkout by roughly 31,000 nurses and other clinicians under UNAC/UHCP. In Washington State, MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital said it has begun posting positions amid a strike by Teamsters Local 760 that began January 17, citing operational needs, while a union representative said workers viewed the postings as a threat and were disappointed. Together, these developments reflect continuing labor pressure across U.S. health systems over staffing and compensation.