On January 14, 2026, around 15,000 nurses at three private hospitals in New York City entered the fourth day of the largest strike in the city’s history, demanding better staffing, healthcare benefits, competitive raises, and protection against workplace violence. The strike is a response to broader bipartisan attacks on public health and workers’ rights, and the nurses face significant opposition from hospital administrations, which have labeled their demands as extreme.
The Mount Sinai Hospital claimed that meeting the nurses’ demands would cost $1.6 billion over three years, a small fraction compared to the wealth of its trustees, who represent America’s financial elite. The article highlights the close connections these trustees have with political power, showcasing their influence and financial contributions to major political figures and parties.
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) faces criticism for not adequately supporting the nurses or mobilizing a unified front. The article urges nurses to create rank-and-file strike committees to control the strike and unify efforts across various sectors of the workforce facing similar issues. It emphasizes that this strike is part of a broader struggle against inequality and the oligarchy’s dominance over healthcare, advocating for healthcare as a social right. The authors call for an end to healthcare being driven by profit motives, emphasizing the need for grassroots organization and solidarity among workers to challenge the current system.
