NYC Nurses Strike for Better Pay, Hospitals Rake in Billions
New York City nurses are striking—again—demanding fair wages and safe staffing levels at institutions like Mount Sinai. Meanwhile, the very same hospital systems that claim poverty during contract negotiations often report staggering profits and executive compensation. Mount Sinai, for instance, reported over $250 million in operating income in 2022, accumulating a cool $2.6 billion in cash and
investments. ( One might wonder where that money goes when nurses are asking for livable wages and enough hands on deck to prevent patient harm. ) This isn't just about New York. Nationally, hospital corporations saw record profits during the pandemic ( remember those 'healthcare heroes'? ), even as they cut staff and resisted unionization. The media frames these as 'both sides dug in,' but it’s
hard not to notice one side is digging into their enormous capital reserves while the other is just trying to afford rent and provide basic care. Perhaps the real 'long haul' isn't the strike, but the decades-long defunding of public services while corporate health 'care' systems privatize the profit and socialize the pain.