Moncef Righi, Federation of Nurses/United Federation of Teachers
Moncef Righi, an operating room nurse and chapter leader for Federation of Nurses/UFT at NYU Langone Hospital–Brooklyn, discovered his calling to nursing through a deeply personal experience. When his mother faced a life-threatening medical emergency in his home country with limited healthcare resources, Righi’s quick thinking saved her life — and changed his career trajectory from physics to healthcare.
After working on a surgical floor and spending six years in the emergency department, Righi moved to the operating room, where he noticed many nurses weren’t aware of their contractual rights. This observation propelled him into union activism, culminating in his election as chapter leader. Under his leadership, the 1,200-member unit successfully negotiated a groundbreaking two-year contract, securing higher wages than neighboring hospitals and requiring the hiring of 100 additional nurses to improve staffing ratios. Notably, Righi helped establish an innovative compensation system where nurses automatically receive additional pay when working short-staffed — a move that rewards nurses for extra work while providing incentives for the hospital to maintain safe staffing levels.
His data-driven approach to negotiations surprised even hospital management, who were unprepared for his detailed knowledge of hospital operations and patient census numbers. Through persistent advocacy and meticulous documentation of 8,000 staffing grievances, Righi has transformed working conditions while improving patient care across the hospital’s diverse units.