Rev. Al Sharpton is standing with striking New York City nurses to commemorate Martin Luther King Day.
On Jan. 19, Sharpton and NYSNA will honor the King’s legacy with a rally at Mount Sinai Morningside. It’s set to take place at 3:00 PM.
According to the press release, “Striking nurses will continue to picket on Monday, with a focus on family and service.”
From 11 AM to 1 PM, nurses will also provide free community health screenings at Mount Sinai.
NYSNA President Nancy Hagans, RN, BSN, CCRN, issued a statement about the rally.
“Nurses honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King. His commitment to racial and economic justice by fighting for every patient to be treated like a VIP. Regardless of the color of their skin or their ability to pay. We are on strike for patient and nurse safety,” Hagans wrote.
“Our patients can’t get the safe, quality care they need when there aren’t enough nurses at the bedside. When we don’t have protections from violence in our hospitals,” she continued. “Nurses can’t access their own healthcare to stay well on the job. On MLK Day and every day, we call on hospital executives to join us in our efforts to end health disparities. And settle fair contracts that keep patients and nurses safe.”
Currently, New York City is witnessing the largest nursing strike in its history. Approximately 15,000 nurses from the New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) have walked off the job. The strike centered on three major private hospital systems: Mount Sinai, Montefiore Medical Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian. A major issue is the union’s demand for regulations on the use of artificial intelligence in clinical settings.
Last week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani stood in support of the nurses.
“At every one of our city’s darkest periods, nurses showed up to work,” Mamdani said at a news conference.“Their value is not negotiable, and their worth is not up for debate.”