New York, December 22 (EFE).- Nurses in twelve New York hospitals have threatened to strike if an agreement is not reached soon on a new collective agreement.
The current agreement expires on December 31, so more than 17,000 nurses, who work at the state’s major private hospitals, such as Mount Sinai, Montefiore and Presbyterian, and who are affiliated with the New York State Nurses Association, have voted in favor of a work stoppage if no agreement is reached, the ABC network’s channel 7 said.
According to the organization that represents them, around 99% voted to authorize the strike, at a time when cases of covid-19 and flu are on the rise in the city.
“Many of us have been traumatized by what we have seen and the conditions we have been working in since the start of the pandemic. The lack of staff makes everything worse,” Nigerian nurse Ari Moma told the channel.
The president of the Association, Nancy Hagans, assured that the strike is always the last resort “but we are prepared if our bosses don’t give us another option”.
“Nurses have been to hell and back, risking their lives to save our patients during the covid-19 pandemic, sometimes without the personal protective equipment we need to keep us safe, and all too often without enough staff for safe patient care,” he said. she said.
According to the union, hospitals have raised rates for health services but are not hiring staff to fill gaps or paying nurses adequately for their work during the pandemic, said union nurse Aretha Morgan. EFE extension
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