New Orleans nurses deliver notice for three-day strike for nurse retention

Nurses at University Medical Center New Orleans (UMCNO) in Louisiana will hold a strike for three days from November 11 to 13 to protest LCMC Health's refusal to address nurses' concerns about staff retention in on-going first contract bargaining. Nurses at UMCNO are represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) and have delivered their required advanced notice for their work stoppage.

UMCNO nurses say their hospital, considered an economic and technological marvel at the time of its construction, is being managed in ways that hurt the ability to retain experienced health care workers, including nurses. Nurses believe experienced workers with direct ties to Louisiana communities provide the best possible patient care.

Who: Nurses at University Medical Center New Orleans
What: Three-day strike for nurse retention
When: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 7 a.m. to Friday, Nov. 14, 6:59 a.m.
Where: University Medical Center New Orleans, 2000 Canal St., New Orleans, La.; at the corner of Canal and Galvez

"I work with some of the best nurses in the world," said Emily Blau, RN in the neurological intensive care unit at UMCNO. "What we're asking for are measures to make sure those nurses stay here, working at our hospital in our community. It's time to get this deal done so we can protect not just our current nurses, but ensure we have great nurses working here for years to come."

"Nurse retention isn't complicated," said Jackie Gamble, RN in behavioral health at UMCNO. "It's as simple as competitive wages, decent benefits, and good working conditions where we can take care of our patients. We need LCMC to help us make UMC a place that nurses want to stay long term so that today's young nurses can become tomorrow's veteran nurse leaders."

Nurses at UMCNO began negotiating this contract with LCMC Health, UMCNO's operator, in March 2024. They are seeking their first union collective bargaining agreement after overwhelmingly voting to join NNOC/NNU in December 2023.

NNOC/NNU represents 600 nurses at UMCNO and is the largest and fastest-growing nurses union in the country today.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.