Registered nurses at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago plan to hold a one-day strike June 11, according to National Nurses United.
The union said in a June 1 news release that nurses are striking over alleged retaliation against nurses advocating for improved patient care and supporting unionization efforts.
St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital is a 361-bed facility and part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare. It was one of eight hospitals Prime acquired from St. Louis-based Ascension in a transaction completed in March 2025.
Nurses at St. Mary are seeking to unionize with National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United. They filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board on May 20. NLRB records show the proposed bargaining unit includes about 400 registered nurses at the hospital.
Union leaders allege Prime management has retaliated against nurses during the organizing campaign.
“Singling out pro-union nurses shows that Prime is using discipline to retaliate against us and silence us,” Maria Russ, RN, a behavioral health nurse, said in the release. “We are striking because experienced nurses who speak up and advocate for patients have been targeted and pushed out of the hospital.”
The strike is scheduled to begin at 6:45 a.m. June 11 and end at 6:45 a.m. June 12, according to the union.
In a statement shared with Becker’s, the hospital denied the allegations.
“St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital respects the right of nurses to make their own decisions regarding union representation and to engage in lawful protected activity,” the hospital said.
“We have not and will not retaliate against employees for exercising their rights and have consistently applied longstanding hospital policies that protect safety and patient care.”
The hospital also said it has plans in place to ensure uninterrupted operations and patient care during the strike.
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