Bronx, NY — Council Member Justin Sanchez issued the following statement in response to a tentative agreement to end the weekslong strike between NYSNA nurses and Montefiore Hospital and Mount Sinai Hospital:

“I’m thankful to see our nurses returning back to the bedside. They fought hard for this contract, and in the future, a fight like this should never be necessary.

We have to collectively reckon with why this strike happened in the first place. Cuts to state funding under Donald Trump were the catalyst for an unprecedentedly long strike, pitting hospital leadership against their own workers and destabilizing institutions that our communities rely on. The length of this strike is a testament to how deeply damaging those cuts have been to hospital systems. Ultimately, I’m glad to see both Montefiore and Mount Sinai choose workers over profits, and I hope other institutions facing budget pressures understand that cutting worker protections and benefits is not the way forward.

Nurses are invaluable to our city. They are on the front lines every day, keeping our hospitals running and New Yorkers healthy. This agreement recognizes their work, and as a result, our communities are stronger and healthier.

This moment should be a turning point. Our city is at its strongest when workers are protected, respected, and supported, and when our institutions have the resources they need to operate at full capacity.”

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