Registered nurses at St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago voted June 17 to join the National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United.
The union said in a June 17 news release that nurses voted 96% in favor of unionizing. The bargaining unit includes nearly 450 nurses at the 361-bed hospital, which is part of Ontario, Calif.-based Prime Healthcare.
“We’re so excited to join NNOC because we know we’ll be able to win the kind of contract that will be a gamechanger for our patients and for us as nurses,” Anna Bilanicz, RN, said in the release.
In a statement shared with Becker’s, a hospital spokesperson said: “St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital respects the outcome of the vote. While we remain concerned about the financial impact of this decision on an already strained hospital system, we support our nurses in their choice to be represented by the National Nurses Union. We look forward to a productive working relationship focused on our shared commitment to delivering high-quality, compassionate care and long-term stability for the communities that need it most.”
Nurses voted to unionize after holding a one-day strike June 11 over alleged retaliation against nurses advocating for improved patient care and supporting unionization efforts. The hospital denied the allegations.
St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital is one of eight hospitals Prime Healthcare acquired from St. Louis-based Ascension in a transaction completed in March 2025.
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