After more than a month on the picket lines, nurses at NewYork-Presbyterian have voted to ratify a new three-year contract, closing out their portion of the city's closely watched nursing strike. The vote clears the way for roughly 4,200 union nurses in the system to return to the bedside in the coming week.
According to AP News, 93% of NYSNA members at NewYork-Presbyterian voted on Saturday to ratify the three-year deal, following earlier approvals at Mount Sinai and Montefiore. The result quickly drew political applause, including from New York Attorney General Letitia James, who posted on X that she "will always stand with them." X.
Congratulations to the @nynurses for earning the fair contracts they deserve. Our nurses care for New Yorkers on the frontlines every single day, and I’ll always stand with them. https://x.com/i/status/2025360163549638859
— Letitia James (@newyorkstateag) Feb 22, 2026
What the Contract Delivers
In a press release, NYSNA said the agreement secures enforceable safe-staffing standards that the union has treated as its hill to die on. The deal also includes protections against workplace violence, safeguards on the use of artificial intelligence and pay increases totaling more than 12% over three years.
The union said the contract preserves nurses' health benefits and includes commitments to recruit additional nurses to address what it describes as chronic short-staffing. In other words, it is not just about a bigger paycheck, it is about having enough colleagues on the floor to do the job safely.
Hospitals and Return to Work
NewYork-Presbyterian posted a nursing update on Feb. 21 stating that the system has "a new ratified contract" and that all hospitals and emergency departments are open and accepting patients as staffing is restored. The hospital said it looks forward to the nurses' return next week and urged patients with scheduling questions to contact their providers directly.
Impact and What Comes Next
The strike, which began on Jan. 12 and at its height involved roughly 15,000 nurses across three private systems, prompted hospitals to bring in thousands of temporary nurses and postpone some routine procedures, AP News reported. With ratification complete, union leaders say the focus now shifts from picket signs to enforcement of the new staffing clauses and holding employers to the standards they agreed to.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans hailed the vote in a press release, saying the "wins of our private sector nurses will improve care for patients" and emphasizing the union's plan to keep close tabs on how the contract is carried out. NYSNA said more details on enforcement and timelines will follow as nurses return to work.
