NEW YORK (PIX11) — Three labor and delivery nurses were fired from Mount Sinai on the eve of New York City’s largest nurses’ strike in history, according to the New York State Nurses Association.
The union said the firings were unlawful. Mount Sinai confirmed they terminated the nurses’ positions, saying in a statement, “We terminated three nurses last week for interfering with patient safety by deliberately sabotaging our emergency preparedness drills ahead of NYSNA’s strike, including hiding supplies from agency nurses who were in training so that they were prepared to help Mount Sinai continue to deliver patient care. This is completely unacceptable behavior, which included locking critical supplies designed to care for vulnerable newborns in conference rooms where they did not belong.”
The hospital claimed the nurses then lied about their involvement, which was refuted by security camera footage.
“Stop your lies. Mount Sinai, stop hiding,” Nancy Hagans, the president of the NYSNA, said about the firings. “We can see your ugly lies. That’s my response.”
The NYSNA accused Mount Sinai of punishing 14 nurses for voicing concerns about workplace violence after an active shooter incident or for discussing union affairs. Around 15,000 nurses picketed outside private hospitals operated by Mount Sinai, Montefiore and NewYork-Presbyterian.
The union expects those numbers to hold for a third day as it continues striking. Nurses are looking for better health care benefits, wages, safe staffing levels and workplace protections.
All the hospitals affected by the strike are adopting protocols and adding staff to maintain patient care despite the ongoing strike. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Gov. Kathy Hochul are calling for both sides to negotiate in good faith.
