Nurses at Montefiore New Rochelle Hospital are set to strike Tuesday morning due to concerns over understaffing and inadequate personal protective equipment.

The planned two-day walkout comes after the New York State Nurses Association filed a health and safety complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

"This is where COVID began," says NYSNA President Judy Sheridan-Gonzalez. "These are the nurses who have given their lives. We lost staff here."

Nurses are also calling for better pay and benefits after working for about two years without a contract.

Senior Vice President of Community Affairs at Montefiore Medicine Marcos Crespo says that "NYSNA is willfully misleading the public by suggesting that Montefiore New Rochelle is unprepared for the latest COVID-19 surge."

"The truth is, in compliance with the governor's orders, Montefiore New Rochelle is stocked with 90 days of PPE for its employees," Crespo says.

The hospital says they've offered wage increases, medical expenses for retired nurses, tuition reimburses, health insurance and pension funds, but nurses say it's not enough.

The hospital also says it is getting ready for the strike by transferring patients to other facilities.

Sheridan-Gonzalez says the hospital has the nurses' phone numbers if there is an emergency where they absolutely need assistance.

Nurses say they will begin the strike at 7 a.m. Tuesday.