THE Philippine Consulate in New York City yesterday expressed support to the clamor of Filipino nurses in two major hospitals in the city for better wages and working conditions.
The consulate issued its support after more than 7,000 nurses at the Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan went on strike Monday after negotiations stalled over pay and staffing levels, causing one of the hospitals to postpone medical procedures and appointments.
Around 1,000 Filipino nurses are working in the two medical facilities.
The consulate added that while it is looking toward the resolution of the strike, Filipino nurses can count on its support.
“The Philippine Consulate General in New York supports the clamor of Filipino-American nurses, employed in Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, for better wages and working conditions,” the consulate said.
The consulate said Filipino nurses deserve better wages and working conditions considering the hardships and sacrifices they performed when New York became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States in 2020.
“Our kababayan nurses stayed true to their oath to care for the sick and the dying, sometimes at the expense of their very own lives. For their compassion, dedication, and selflessness, their call for better employment terms and conditions should be heeded,” the consulate added.
It said a mutually acceptable resolution to the strike should be worked out to ensure the healthcare of New Yorkers and the recognition of the indispensable role of Filipino nurses who are at the forefront of patient care are fully addressed.
Reports said the two hospitals have offered a 19.1 percent compounded wage increase to the striking nurses.
The Montefiore Medical Center also committed to create more than 170 new nursing positions.
