There were protests and arrests on Day 25 of the New York City nurses strike, but also progress in negotiations on some of the key issues that remain. Nurses rallied Thursday on Manhattan's West Side and outside The Mount Sinai Hospital on the Upper East Side, saying the New York State Nurses Association has more to do at the bargaining table, though they are closer to a deal. NYSNA has been negotiating for over three weeks with Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West, Montefiore Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Irving Medical Center. Nurses said the sides agreed to artificial intelligence protections and some issues at the individual hospitals, more than a week after the union said they had another tentative deal on health care benefits, a key piece of the puzzle. The remaining sticking points, in addition to wages and health care benefits, are safe staffing standards to protect patients and nurse protections from workplace violence, according to the nurses. Thirteen people were arrested at a rally linked to the nurses strike outside the League of Voluntary Hospitals at 555 West 57th St.
More than 80% of nurses experience workplace violence each year, according to one industry survey. The rate of violent incidents is reportedly increasing, too. Almost all of these assaults are perpetrated by patients, though patients' family members can also threaten our safety. People don't realize that hospitals are increasingly dangerous places to work in. Because nurses spend more time than anyone else with patients, we often get the brunt of their anger with the healthcare industry, lack of adequate services and long wait times.
Nurses on strike in New York City have started to see new movement in contract negotiations with hospitals in recent days as they have traded proposals across the bargaining table at the Javits Center in Manhattan. But it's still unclear whether it will be enough to quickly propel the parties toward a deal that will bring nearly 15,000 striking nurses back to work at hospitals run by Mount Sinai, Montefiore and NewYork-Presbyterian. Their previous contracts expired Dec. 31. After 23 days on the picket line, some nurses say they're still frustrated at the pace of talks — and they're not impressed with hospitals' latest salary offer. Hospitals, for their part, say they're putting forth comprehensive, revised proposals with 'responsible' economic offers. In recent days, the hospitals have jointly proposed a 3% raise each year for three years, the New York State Nurses Association confirmed to Gothamist. But NYSNA officials said the hospitals' offer comes with delayed start dates for the raises each year that have the effect of significantly reducing the overall salary boost.
A strike involving Kaiser Permanente nurses and health care workers moved into its second week Monday, as union members and supporters rallied outside the Ontario facility. Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente health care workers across California and Hawaii walked off the job last week in a strike over safe staffing levels, fair compensation and timely care for patients. The striking workers are members of the United Nurses Associations of California/Union of Health Care Professionals (UNAC/UHCP).
Health insurance coverage was cut off Sunday for thousands of Montefiore nurses as the largest nurses strike in New York City entered its fourth week. As the strike continues, workers are paying more than $1,000 a month for health insurance — even more for families.
When the role was first created in the 1960s, physician assistants were meant to help expand access to healthcare in rural America by acting as an "extra right hand" for physicians, performing routine tasks, like taking patient histories and performing physical examinations, under the close supervision of a doctor. The profession has changed substantially since then: Today, P.A.s practice in every medical specialty and with far more independence.