NYC Nurses Begin Strike After Midnight Deadline Passes

Tens of thousands of nurses at several major New York City hospitals are now on strike. Their union, the New York State Nurses Association, failed to reach a new contract deal with hospital management by a Sunday midnight deadline. The two sides could not agree on terms. The walkout affects some of the city's largest private hospitals. This includes Mount Sinai and Montefiore. The main issue in the negotiations is nurse-to-patient staffing ratios. The union wants hospitals to hire more nurses. It says this is needed to ensure patient safety and care quality. Hospital officials say they have offered fair pay increases. They argue that forced hiring ratios are not flexible and are too costly. The strike will cause major disruptions. Hospitals are postponing non-urgent surgeries and procedures. Many are diverting ambulances to other facilities. Both sides say they are ready to return to negotiations at any time. For now, the strike continues.