Members of National Nurses United are planning one-day strikes July 6 at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis and St. Joseph hospitals in Wichita, Kan., and Ascension St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore.
The union represents nearly 1,200 nurses at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis and St. Joseph and more than 600 nurses at Ascension St. Agnes, according to June 25 news releases. All three hospitals are part of St. Louis-based Ascension, which has approximately 97,300 employees across 16 states and the District of Columbia.
Union members at St. Francis and St. Joseph have been negotiating a new contract since March and authorized the July 6 strike June 23. St. Agnes nurses have been negotiating a first contract since January 2024 and previously held a strike in July 2025 before announcing another one-day strike for July 6.
The union contends Ascension has not adequately addressed nurses’ concerns at the Via Christi hospitals about patient safety, safe staffing and workplace violence protections during negotiations.
“We have been sounding the alarm and calling for weapons detection systems for years, but the administration has refused to listen,” Carol Samsel, RN, said in a union release. “We need a simple metal detector to prevent guns and other weapons from getting inside the hospital.”
In a statement shared with Becker’s, an Ascension spokesperson said the system is disappointed by the union’s decision to strike but that Via Christi St. Francis and Via Christi St. Joseph will remain open and fully operational during the one-day strike. The spokesperson said contingency plans are in place to ensure patient care is not disrupted.
At St. Agnes, the union contends management has not adequately addressed concerns about staffing, staff retention and nurse floating practices during negotiations. The union alleges the hospital has reduced staff hours and floated nurses into specialty units where they are not typically assigned.
“Staffing is the No. 1 issue that our coworkers bring to us nurses on the bargaining team,” Gideon Eziama, RN, said in a union release. “When we have too many patients, we can’t provide the care we were trained to give.”
In a statement shared with Becker’s, an Ascension spokesperson said St. Agnes will remain open and fully operational during the strike. The spokesperson also said union dues remain the primary obstacle to reaching an agreement, based on discussions during the parties’ most recent bargaining session. Ascension said it has implemented average wage increases of 9% in 2025 and an additional average increase of 7%, effective Aug. 2, while negotiations continue.
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