Montefiore warned its striking Big Apple nurses Thursday that they’ll lose their health benefits in 10 days if they don’t go back to work during a bitter contract dispute, The Post has learned.
The major hospital system issued a letter to union members, which was obtained by The Post by someone who received it, telling nurses they have until Feb. 1 before they would need to start paying for their health benefits out of pocket if the strike drags on.
“Montefiore has always been proud to provide free healthcare to our working nurses that includes no copays, no deductibles, free prescription drugs, dental, and vision, and we have always stated that these extremely generous benefits are not up for negotiation,” a Montefiore spokesperson said in a statement.
“As required by federal law, we are informing our striking nurses that on February 1 they will lose eligibility for these health benefits, and at that point, may continue their coverage under COBRA at their own expense.”
Nurses at Montefiore, as well as Mount Sinai and NewYork-Presbyterian, walked off the job on Jan. 12 after workers and the hospitals couldn’t make a deal on numerous issues, including pay, benefits, staffing levels and worker safety.
The hospitals and New York State Nurses Association leaders resumed bargaining talks on Thursday in a glimmer of hope on the 11th day of the strike.
It was not immediately clear if any progress was made.
About 15,000 nurses across the trio of medical systems are on strike in what the union says is a historic labor action.
The Montefiore spokesperson insisted the measure wasn’t punitive, and that health insurance companies typically require employees to receive pay in order to maintain benefits.
Under federal law, COBRA allows workers and their families to hold onto their health benefits for a limited period of time after they face a life-altering event. But the worker can be forced to foot the bill.
An individual plan will cost striking nurses around $1,120 per month while a family would be about $3,140 each month, according to the letter.
Mount Sinai confirmed it stopped benefits for nurses when the strike got underway.
An email to NY-Presbyterian was not immediately returned.
An email to the NYSNA about Montefiore’s letter was not immediately returned Thursday afternoon.
But the union previously said nurses on the picket line can apply for unemployment insurance and are eligible to apply for COBRA benefits as the strike drags on.
A hardship fund – that attracted more than 320 donations in less than a week — has also been set up to fill some of the void, according to the NYSNA.
Nurses on the picket line said in a Thursday social media video they were clamoring to get back to their patients’ bedside.
“We just are tired, tired of being just met with unfair demands and we deserve more and our patients deserve more,” one nurse said.
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