On Monday, thousands of nurses at two hospitals in New York City went on strike after contract talks over pay and staffing levels stalled. As a result, one of the facilities had to postpone procedures and appointments.

More than 7,000 nurses from Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx are participating in the walkout, according to a statement from the New York State Nurses Association.

Tensions between nurses and their employers have arisen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, a respiratory syncytial virus outbreak, and this year's flu season straining the healthcare industry in the nation's most populous city.

Numerous striking nurses held a rally outside of both hospitals on Monday morning, chanting "Every patient is a VIP" and holding signs in favour of hiring more nurses and paying them more.

Montefiore Medical Center stated, "We remain committed to seamless and compassionate care, realizing that the union leadership's decision will cause fear and uncertainty throughout our community.

All elective surgeries and procedures had to be rescheduled, and appointments at ambulatory locations had to be postponed, according to Montefiore. According to Sinai, the majority of its outpatient procedures and appointments are proceeding as planned.

The union had been successful in negotiating agreements or new contracts for nurses at seven other hospitals in New York City since starting contract talks four months ago.

According to the union, Mount Sinai Morningside and West nurses tentatively agreed to a new contract on Sunday that would improve staffing standards and enforcement and increase salaries over the following three years.

Despite any potential worries about crossing the picket lines of striking nurses, the union urged people who were ill to seek medical attention.

Eric Adams, the mayor of New York City, stated on Sunday that he and his team were closely monitoring the situation and that the city's healthcare system was ready to handle any difficulties that might arise as a result of the work stoppage.