Nurses STRIKE – Spurs 3 Deaths Already

Nurse in scrubs and mask outside hospital holding clipboard.

A devastating lawsuit alleges that three patient deaths, including two newborns, occurred during a 2023 nurses strike at Mount Sinai Hospital when inexperienced replacement staff botched critical procedures in understaffed units.

Story Snapshot

Four-month-old Noah Morton died during a PICC line procedure performed by replacement nurses during the 2023 Mount Sinai strike
Two additional deaths reportedly occurred during childbirth and in the ICU amid the three-day nursing walkout
A wrongful death lawsuit filed by Napoli Shkolnik alleges hospital negligence and inadequate temporary staffing
The claims resurfaced during the current 2026 nurses strike involving 15,000 workers across multiple NYC hospitals

When Strikes Turn Fatal

Noah Morton was fighting for his life in Mount Sinai Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit when approximately 7,000 nurses walked off the job in January 2023. The four-month-old infant with a heart condition needed a routine PICC line insertion, but what happened next would spark a wrongful death lawsuit that continues to haunt the hospital system today.

According to the lawsuit filed by Napoli Shkolnik law firm, replacement nurses punctured Noah’s lung during the procedure, leading to his death. The hospital called it natural causes, but the family’s attorney Joseph L. Ciaccio maintains the death was “preventable” and resulted from relying on inexperienced temporary staff during the strike.

The Human Cost of Labor Disputes

Noah’s case represents just one of three alleged deaths tied to the 2023 strike. Critics claim two additional patients died during childbirth and a 24-year-old succumbed in the ICU, all attributed to understaffing and inadequately trained replacement workers. These deaths occurred during a three-day walkout that paralyzed critical units across Mount Sinai and Montefiore Medical Center.

The timing proved catastrophic for vulnerable patients. NICU babies requiring split-second precision in medical procedures found themselves at the mercy of temporary nurses unfamiliar with complex protocols. Post-strike investigations revealed what many suspected: arbitrators fined Mount Sinai millions for chronic understaffing, and the hospital’s own internal analysis admitted the standard of care was not met during Noah’s treatment.

History Repeats in 2026

Fast forward to 2026, and the specter of these deaths looms over the largest nurses strike in New York City history. Approximately 15,000 nurses from the New York State Nurses Association have walked off the job at Mount Sinai, Montefiore, and NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals. The stakes have never been higher, with hospitals spending over $100 million on temporary replacements while union leaders demand safer staffing ratios.

Mount Sinai has already terminated three labor and delivery nurses for alleged sabotage, claiming they hid and locked medical supplies before the strike. The union vehemently denies these accusations, calling the firings retaliatory against new mothers who spoke out about safety concerns. This bitter dispute reveals the deep mistrust that has poisoned labor relations at these crucial medical facilities.