NewYork-Presbyterian nurses return to bargaining as strike enters sixth week

Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian are returning to the bargaining table as their strike enters its sixth week. The talks center on staffing levels and follow an arbitrator award of nearly $400,000 to pediatric ICU nurses over chronic staffing issues.

Nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital are returning to the bargaining table while many continue to picket. The strike has entered its sixth week and is reported as the largest and longest nurses strike in New York City history. Negotiations are focused on staffing levels. An arbitrator recently awarded nearly $400,000 to nurses in a pediatric ICU unit over chronic staffing problems. Key points: - Representatives and nurses are meeting at the bargaining table while picket lines remain active. - The strike has reached its 39th day, and more than 4,200 nurses are reported as still on strike. - Staffing levels are the central issue, and an arbitration award addressed a pediatric ICU staffing dispute. - The hospital says it has hired more than 400 nurses over the past three years and describes safe staffing as a priority. Summary: Negotiations remain unsettled and continue to focus on safe-staffing standards and staffing levels; the labor action has persisted into its sixth week with thousands still on strike. Representatives are scheduled to meet in bargaining on Thursday to discuss staffing and contract terms; further outcomes are undetermined at this time.