The New York City Nurses' Strike began on January 12, 2026, and is the largest strike of its kind in the city's history, involving nearly 15,000 nurses from the three largest health systems: Mount Sinai, NewYork-Presbyterian, and Montefiore[1][2]. Nurses protest against understaffing, unfair health benefits and workplace violence[1]. According to a 2024 survey, 66 percent of nurses in New York hospitals report that their units are not adequately staffed to safely care for patients[7]. The data also show that 64 percent of nurses experienced verbal abuse from patients or their relatives and 23 percent were physically assaulted[2]. Health systems say they are committed to safe care, while NYSNA (New York State Nurses Association) accuses hospitals of violating nurses' rights and threatening to cancel health insurance[1]. Montefiore reports that its nurse turnover rate is 6.8 percent, nearly 10 percentage points lower than the national average[1][3].