Montefiore Lays Off 12 Nurses for AI, Drawing Contract Violation Claims

2 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Jul 13

Twelve Montefiore utilization review nurses were dismissed Sunday after 45-day notices, with the union saying AI software took over their work.
May 28 notices followed workflow changes introduced after nurses returned from the January 2026 strike, according to affected nurse Marilyn Shuler, who said repeated requests for transparency went unanswered.
NYSNA says the layoffs breach AI safeguards won in the post-strike contract, making the case one of the first AI-related layoffs confronted by the nurses' union.
Montefiore did not address the layoffs directly and said the technology is used in a nonclinical paperwork program, calling the union's claims inaccurate and misleading.
The dispute adds to a broader fight by National Nurses United, which has pushed an AI bill of rights and warned hospitals could use untested tools to cut staffing and costs.