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Nurses Strike Looms: Hospital Vows Full Operations
28 Jun
Summary
- Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital will remain fully operational during a one-day nurses' strike.
- The hospital secured replacement nurses to ensure patient safety and continuity of care.
- The union cites concerns over safe staffing, nurse retention, and floating practices.
Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital in Baltimore has announced it will maintain full operational capacity during a planned one-day strike by its unionized nurses, set to occur from July 6 to July 7. The hospital confirmed it has contracted with a specialized agency to provide replacement registered nurses, ensuring that patient health and safety are paramount during the work stoppage. This measure aims to guarantee that all services remain uninterrupted.
The strike, organized by National Nurses United, which represents over 600 nurses at Saint Agnes, stems from ongoing contract negotiations that began in January 2026. Key issues for the union include demands for adequate safe staffing levels, better retention of experienced nurses, and limitations on 'unsafe floating practices.' Union representatives argue these practices, which involve assigning nurses to units outside their expertise, are detrimental to patient care.
Conversely, Saint Agnes Hospital has stated that the union's bargaining team identified the hospital's refusal to mandate union dues for all nurses as the principal obstacle to reaching an agreement. The hospital maintains it stands by its final offer to the union. Nurses at Saint Agnes previously engaged in a similar strike in July 2025, protesting comparable concerns.
