Three New York City hospitals continue to be under discussion as talks continue on avoiding a nurse strike

NEW YORK (AP) — With a strike deadline looming, contract negotiations continued Sunday between three New York City hospitals and the union representing nearly 9,000 nurses prepared to walk out on Monday, union officials said.

Talks are ongoing with Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx. Both have more than 1000 beds. Nancy Hagans, President of the New York State Nurses Association, said that Mount Sinai Morningside was being contacted. At least two other city hospitals have also been reached tentatively by negotiators.

“We have said always our number one issue is the crisis of staffing, chronic understaffing that harms patient care,” Hagans said.

According to her, negotiations with Mount Sinai management were resumed for the first time in a while. Talks have continued with the other hospitals.

Hospitals have taken measures to prepare for strikes by arranging patient transfers, redirecting ambulances elsewhere, and postponing elective surgery.

In a statement, Mount Sinai said the union’s focus on staffing-to-patient ratios “ignores the progress we have made to attract and hire more new nurses, despite a global shortage of healthcare workers that is impacting hospitals across the country.”