Filipino RNs join historic nurses strike, vow to fight ‘as long as it takes’
By Lindy Rosales
On Day 3 of the historic nurses strike in New York City, The FilAm was able to visit two of the Montefiore System sites in the Bronx. Three major hospital systems are part of the strike: Mount Sinai, Montefiore and New York Presbyterian. An estimated 15,000 nurses walked out of their jobs to join the picket line last January 12.
The mood was upbeat, the nurses were in great spirits, cars were honking in support of the nurses and the New York police Department (NYPD) were close by, observing and giving the protesters their space.
At the Montefiore Hutchinson Campos Registered Nurse (RN) Sharon Eduardo was holding her bright neon yellow sign which read “Fight for Bx Patients”. Eduardo has been an Operating Room nurse for 18 years. She started as a floor nurse for four years. She has been with Montefiore for a total of 22 years, her first job.
Why are you here on the picket line? “We’re fighting for patient safety, staffing ratios. We need more nurses for better care. We have to uphold the staffing ratios so that we can provide .. safe patient care”.
What did the union say? How long will this strike last? “We really don’t know. But we’re ready, we’re ready to fight, as long as it takes. We are not working, obviously we are not making money. We are on strike. We can’t go into any Montefiore facility”.
Rosalita Feldman and Grace Concepcion both worked in the Ambulatory Surgery Center of the Hutchinson Campos. The center is closed on weekends and holidays, and closes around 7-9 pm. Concepcion has retired from Montefiore in July 2025 but she has been on the frontlines, supporting her colleagues and she is in agreement with their strike demands.
“I’m very happy that’s there’s a lot of people coming. You know we are a small unit so we don’t have a lot of nurses. But the people from Weiler Campos came over early and tripled our crowd. I’m very happy because I see that everybody is together. So proud. Healthcare workers need health care. We want to be safe so that the patients will be safe”, said Feldman.
Are there nurses that are still working inside? “I don’t think anybody is working. I don’t think so. We don’t know of anyone who crossed the picket line,” said Feldman.
How long are you willing to go on strike? As long as we need to. We have to. If we don’t … we want health care…we want patient safety. We want our people to be safe so that the patients will be safe”, stated Feldman.
A few minutes away on the Montefiore Jack D. Weiler Campos, nurses were also on strike, with barricades put up by NYPD. It was noon time and some of the nurses were having their lunch. The cold winter weather did not stop the chanting and the red noisemakers. Spotted among the crowd was a group Filipino nurses, who brought along a small Philippine flag.
Alice Mengito-Jones has been a nurse for 30 years and have worked in Montefiore for 18 years. Mengito-Jones is a certified Emergency Room nurse and works in Interventional Radiology.
Why are you here today? “We are on strike because we don’t have a contract from 12/31/25. So we are fighting for a fair contract. Safe staffing and staff safety against the violence of co-workers or patients. No work, no pay and we are ready to fight. Nobody crossed the picket line as far as I know. And they hired travel nurses from another state who doesn’t have any license to practice in New York”.
How long are you willing to go strike? “We are willing until we get a fair contract for everyone”, said Jones while the other Filipino nurses cheered.
Is there anything you want to say to your fellow nurses that are on strike?” We have to be united to fight for our fair contract, we have to be united to fight for our future, for our benefits. Because at Montefiore, Mount Sinai and Presbyterian the CEOs are getting millions of dollars (in salaries). They’re not giving us any fair contract, safe staffing and they want to take away our pension”, Jones said.
Governor Kathy Hochul issued Executive Order 4 declaring a Statewide Disaster Emergency due to healthcare staffing shortages in the State of New York on January 9, three days before the strike began. The emergency declaration allows Registered Nurses who are licensed and in current good standing in any state of the United States to practice in New York State. The Executive Order is in effect until February 8, 2026.
The nurses have a town hall/meeting every night with their union. As of this writing, the seven-day waiting period for the application of unemployment benefits in New York State would have passed. The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) have given guidelines to the nurses that January 20 is the earliest day that they can file for unemployment.
