February 23, 2026 NEW YORK, NY The picket lines are coming down, and the "largest nurse strike in New York City history" has officially reached its climax.
After 41 days of chanting, marching, and empty hospital corridors, the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) announced on Saturday that members at NewYork-Presbyterian have overwhelmingly voted to ratify a groundbreaking new contract. With a staggering 93% "Yes" vote, the final holdouts in a 15,000-nurse labor war are heading back to work.
The Spoils of War: What the Nurses Won
This isn't just a return to the status quo. The new three-year deal is a seismic shift for the nursing profession in the Big Apple. The highlights include:
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12% Salary Surge: A massive pay increase spread over three years, designed to stop the "brain drain" and keep veteran nurses in NYC.
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The AI "Kill Switch": In a first-of-its-kind move, the contract includes specific safeguards against Artificial Intelligence replacing human judgment in patient care.
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Violence Protection: New, hardened standards to protect staff from workplace violence—an issue that has plagued ERs since the pandemic.
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Staffing Guarantees: Concrete "safe staffing" ratios to ensure one nurse isn't juggling an impossible number of patients.
A Long Road to "Yes"
The journey to this agreement was anything but easy. Since contracts expired on New Year's Eve, the city has watched as healthcare icons like Montefiore and Mount Sinai saw their staff walk out. While those hospitals settled on Valentine’s Day, NewYork-Presbyterian nurses stayed on the pavement for an extra week to secure their terms.
The strike became a political lightning rod, drawing heavy hitters like Senator Bernie Sanders and Mayor Zohran Mamdani to the picket lines, turning a local labor dispute into a national symbol of the "Healthcare Justice" movement.
"The Fight Begins Now"
Despite the celebration, union leadership isn't resting. NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, made it clear that signing the paper is only half the battle.
“We are so happy with the wins we achieved, and now the fight to enforce these contracts and hold our employers accountable begins,” Hagans stated.
