"BronxCare and The Brooklyn Hospital Center have already reached tentative agreements with the union to increase wages, better health benefits, and improve safe staffing levels. Still, Mount Sinai, Mount Sinai Morningside, Mount Sinai West, and Montefiore are hospitals that have yet to reach deals with the union.
ABC7 New York said Mount Sinai is preparing for a strike. The hospital began moving newborns under intensive care and vulnerable patients to other hospitals this weekend amid the looming labor action. The hospital could also cancel non-emergency procedures.
Mount Sinai's chief nursing officer, Dr. Frances Cartwright, railed against the strike threat:
"Talk about vulnerable patients, defenseless little babies.
"We can't wait until Monday, we have to plan. I sure am hoping for the best, but you have to plan for the worst."
An internal memo from Mount Sinai informed staff of "aggressive planning in response" to a possible strike tomorrow, which would include "diverting a majority of ambulances," beginning "to cancel some elective surgeries ... will perform emergency surgery only," "starting to transfer patients" to other hospitals and "working to discharge as many patients as appropriate safely."
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said days ago her "full expectation is that this will be resolved because there is no alternative."
