Thousands of New York City Nurses Strike at Two Hospitals (1)

More than 7,000 nurses at two major New York City hospitals went on strike Monday, saying staffing levels at private-sector facilities are inadequate and that pay should be higher.

Nurses say vacancies and understaffing put patients at risk, especially as the city confronts the so-called tripledemic of Covid-19, flu and RSV infections. What constitutes sufficient staffing has been at the heart of disputes between nurses and hospitals for years. Then the pandemic spiked turnover, forcing hospitals to fill gaps with expensive travel nurses and pushing their operating margins negative. Hospitals say the resulting crisis leaves them less room to maneuver, ...