Statement of Solidarity: Strike by 15,000 NYSNA Members in New York City

Statement of Solidarity with Striking NYSNA Workers, January 12, 2026

CWA District 1 stands in solidarity with our brothers, sisters, and kin at NYSNA in their fight for a fair contract. Nurses at Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and New York Presbyterian have drawn a clear line: patient care and worker safety are essential at a time when healthcare workers are under attack. NYSNA’s fight is a fight for every New Yorker who depends on safe, accessible, and compassionate healthcare.

Representing more than 15,000 healthcare workers across New York, we know firsthand the immense pressure frontline healthcare workers face as they care for patients under increasingly difficult and dangerous conditions; just a few years ago, more than 2,000 of our own healthcare members went on strike in Buffalo over many of the same issues: unsafe staffing, workplace safety, and dignity and respect for the workers who hold our healthcare system together. 

Nurses are working through one of the worst flu surges in recent history while facing real threats of workplace violence—including recent horrific incidents at Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian. As nurses put their own safety on the line to care for their patients, hospital management has responded by threatening job loss, surveilling union members, attempting to silence those speaking out, and stalling negotiations–all while pouring millions into temporary travel nurses instead of investing in their permanent staff.

New York City’s largest private hospital systems are among the wealthiest private healthcare systems in New York, yet they claim they cannot afford a fair contract. These hospitals cannot claim poverty while threatening workers and stockpiling resources to fight their own workforce. 

We strongly support NYSNA nurses’ strike for fair contracts that uphold safe staffing minimums, protect healthcare benefits, and ensure safe working conditions. Our members respect picket lines, and we urge all workers to do the same. Crossing a picket line only strengthens management’s hand and undermines the collective fight for safe, high-quality care. We’re all in this fight together, and our strength as working people lies in our ability to stand in solidarity with one another! 

CWA District 1 members know that when healthcare workers stand together, we win—not just for ourselves, but for entire communities. We call on Montefiore, Mt. Sinai, and NewYork Presbyterian managements to end retaliation, respect the law, and settle fair contracts now. We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with NYSNA nurses in their fight for safety, justice, and quality care for all.