Nurses strike for second day at two major New York City hospitals

A supporter stands through the sunroof of a passing vehicle in front of Mt Sinai Hospital in Manhattan (Craig Ruttle/AP)

A nursing strike at two of New York City’s largest hospitals has entered its second day – with a union official saying progress is being made towards a possible settlement at one of them.

The hospitals, Montefiore Medical Centre and Mount Sinai Hospital, have postponed nonemergency surgeries, diverted ambulances to other medical centres, pulled in temporary staffers and assigned administrators with nursing backgrounds to work in wards in order to cope with the walkout of up to 7,100 nurses.