MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Consulate in New York has expressed support for Filipino-American nurses employed in two hospitals there who have gone on strike for better wages and working conditions.
Nurses working for Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx and Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan went on strike after failing to reach a contract agreement with their employers. The US, which has a strong history of labor unions, has seen a wave of union organizing in the past year as workers push for better pay and treatment.
"When New York City became the epicenter of the pandemic in the spring of 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," the consulate said in a statement on Tuesday.
"For their compassion, dedication, and selflessness, their call for better employment terms and conditions should be heeded."
Reports from several international news outlets note that there were at least 7,000 New York City-based nurses who joined the picket line on Monday. They are the latest in a string of protests by healthcare workers across the globe, asking for better pay and working conditions after bearing the brunt of the pandemic.
They were also asking for increased staffing as some raised that being short-staffed hinders their abilities to perform their job well and attend to patients.
Some of the the New York State Nurses Association were able to reach a contact agreement with other hospitals across five boroughs. Nurses at Montefiore and Mount Sinai have yet to be given better offers.
"We look forward to a mutually acceptable resolution to the strike and hope that all dispute resolution avenues be exhausted to ensure the healthcare of New Yorkers and the recognition of the indispensable role of our nurses who are at the forefront of patient care," the consulate said. – Kaycee Valmonte with reports from Agence France-Presse