NNU Strike: Saint Agnes Contingency Plan Update

National Nurses United (NNU) has issued Saint Agnes a notice of intent to strike, indicating the registered nurses it represents will conduct a one-day strike starting at 7:00 a.m. on July 6, 2026, through 7:00 a.m. on July 7, 2026. We are disappointed in the union's decision to strike, recognizing the anxiety it can cause our patients and the hardship it brings to our associates and their families.

Providing safe, quality care remains our top priority. Saint Agnes will remain open and fully operational throughout the strike, with a comprehensive contingency plan in place to ensure uninterrupted patient care.

We have secured a full complement of highly skilled, credentialed replacement registered nurses through a staffing agency that specializes in work stoppage events.

We welcome any Saint Agnes nurse who wishes to work during the strike. Any represented registered nurse who chooses not to work on July 6, 2026, may be temporarily replaced during the one-day strike.

We would prefer not to have to utilize these extended contracted services, but we must make every provision for ensuring the health and safety of our patients, families, providers and associates.

Contract Negotiations

Saint Agnes and NNU have been negotiating an initial contract for registered nurses since January 2024. After the hospital presented its last, best and final offer, the union did not submit a formal counter-proposal for nearly a year, or bring the hospital's proposal to represented nurses for a vote. The union only recently indicated it had developed a counter-proposal, which our hospital bargaining team met to review on May 28. During that session, NNU's bargaining team explicitly stated that the primary barrier to reaching an agreement is that Saint Agnes will not agree to NNU's requirement that all nurses pay union dues.

Our focus remains on doing what is right for our nurses, including advocating for their right to choose whether or not to pay union dues and ensuring they continue to have market-competitive wages. Through a letter of agreement we initiated, we have implemented wage increases the last two years while negotiations continue-with nurses receiving an average increase of 9% in 2025, and an additional average increase of 7% this year that will become effective on August 2, 2026.

Saint Agnes stands by our last, best and final offer as we believe it reflects our commitment to meeting and supporting the diverse needs of our nurses.