NYC hospital accuses nurses’ union of seeking protections for workers arriving drunk, high as strike begins

As thousands of medical caregivers walked off the job Monday in what became the largest nurses’ strike in New York City history, officials at a major hospital accused the nurses’ union of making unreasonable demands — including protections for nurses who come to work drunk or high.

Officials at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx told Fox News Digital that demands by the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) show nurses putting their own interests ahead of patient safety.

"NYSNA leadership’s demand that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job is another example of putting their own self-interest before patient safety," Montefiore Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications Joe Solmonese told Fox News Digital in a statement.

Montefiore added the union is also pushing for an exorbitant increase in pay.

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"As they double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, we remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care," Solmonese said. 

NYSNA did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. 

On Monday, roughly 15,000 nurses represented by the NYSNA went on strike after months of negotiations failed to produce an agreement. The walkout affected several major medical institutions, including Montefiore, Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian (NYP).

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According to NYSNA, nurses have been demanding improved staffing ratios, better benefits, fair pay and stronger protections against workplace violence — concerns heightened by a recent active shooter incident at Mount Sinai Hospital and another violent incident at NewYork-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. 

While the union did not publicly disclose its salary proposal, NYP told Fox News Digital that a full-time nurse with one year of experience earns about $125,000 in base pay before overtime. NYSNA-represented nurses at Columbia University Irving Medical Center reportedly earn an average salary of roughly $163,000.

The health system also noted that NYP has added more than 400 nurses over the past three years, but said NYSNA is seeking 2,400 additional positions — a figure the hospital says is inconsistent with current staffing needs.

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NYSNA argued that hospital executives have been prioritizing corporate profits and high administrative salaries over patient care. They claimed that the three health care systems involved collectively held more than $1.6 billion in cash as of September 2025. The union also noted that CEO compensation at these facilities rose by 54% between 2020 and 2023, with one executive earning $26.3 million in 2024 alone.

"Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits," NYSNA said, adding that the cuts would affect 27,000 nurses at over 50 hospitals in the state.

NYSNA President Nancy Hagans added in a statement: "Unfortunately, greedy hospital executives have decided to put profits above safe patient care and force nurses out on strike when we would rather be at the bedsides of our patients. Hospital management refuses to address our most important issues—patient and nurse safety.  It is shameful that the city’s richest hospitals refuse to continue healthcare benefits for frontline nurses, refuse to staff safely for our patients, and refuse to protect us from workplace violence. It is deeply offensive that they would rather use their billions to fight against their own nurses than settle a fair contract. Nurses do not want to strike, but our bosses have forced us out on strike."  

Mount Sinai slammed the union’s economic demands as "extreme," warning that they were simply impossible to meet.

"Unfortunately, NYSNA decided to move forward with its strike while refusing to move on from its extreme economic demands, which we cannot 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 Monday.

The NYP also told Fox News Digital that the health system has proposed sizable wage increases but stressed that reaching an agreement requires flexibility from both parties.

"While NYSNA has told nurses to walk away from the bedside, we remain focused on our patients and their care. This strike is designed to create disruption, but we have taken the necessary steps, so our patients continue to receive the care they trust us to provide," the NYP said.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment," it added.

"We have proposed significant wage increases that keep our nurses among the highest paid in the city, enhancements to their outstanding employer-funded benefits and new measures that reflect our shared commitment to safe staffing and workplace safety. However, good faith bargaining requires compromise from both sides."