Union nurses reinstated at Prime hospitals in Illinois and Maine

Four nurses reinstated at Olympia Fields Hospital and one reinstated at Central Maine Medical Center

Four formerly suspended registered nurses at Olympia Fields Hospital in Olympia Fields, Ill. and one formerly terminated nurse at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) in Lewiston, Maine, have been reinstated and will return to work this week, announced National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest growing union of registered nurses in the nation. By Sept. 18, Prime Healthcare had suspended or fired 20 nurses at CMMC and 6 at Olympia Fields Hospital.

"Nurses were unlawfully disciplined for our patient advocacy," said Hillary Ferrell, former RN at Olympia Fields Hospital. "But we will never stop speaking up for our patients. Our patient and our community deserve safe staffing and safe patient care."

Nurses at Olympia Fields and CMMC faced suspensions and terminations by Prime Healthcare after they filed their petition at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on Aug. 24, to hold a union election. Nurses at Olympia Fields won their union election by 82 percent on Sept. 23 and CMMC nurses won their union election by 91 percent on Sept. 24.

"Prime needs to reinstate all nurses who were suspended or fired," said Katie Grinnell, former RN at CMMC. "Also, Prime must stop challenging our overwhelming victory at the ballot box. We won our union election by a landslide."

Despite nurses' overwhelming consensus for union membership, Prime Healthcare has continued their union busting by challenging nurses' victories with the NLRB. More than 40 nurses have been unlawfully suspended or fired by Prime for speaking up and advocating for their patients.

NNOC/NNU now represents more than 3,000 health care workers in the Prime Healthcare system at hospitals nationwide, more than 1,800 of whom are already in active contract negotiations.

Timeline:

Aug. 24 - RNs at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine and Olympia Fields Hospital in Olympia Fields, Ill.filed union election petitions.

Sept. 3 - Nurses at four Prime hospitals across three states - West Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim, Calif.; Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nev.; Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago, Ill.; and nurses and health care workers at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, Calif. - held one-day strikes to protest Prime's refusal to address their concerns about patient care and safe staffing. (Nurses at Saint Mary of Nazareth voted to join NNOC in June.)

Sept. 15 - Olympia Fields nurses held a one-day strike to protest the hospital administration's retaliation against nurses who speak up and fight for their patients.

Nurses at two Prime hospitals - Saint Mary of Nazareth in Chicago and Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston, Maine - held informational pickets in solidarity with nurses at Olympia Fields.

Nurses and health care workers at three Prime hospitals in two states held sympathy strikes in solidarity with Olympia Fields nurses: RNs at Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center in Reno, Nevada and West Anaheim Medical Center in Anaheim, California, and nurses and health care workers at Shasta Regional Medical Center in Redding, California.

Sept. 23 - Olympia Fields nurses overwhelmingly vote to join NNOC.

Sept. 24 - Central Maine Medical Center RNs win MSNA/NNOC union vote in landslide victory.

Oct. 2 - Three Olympia Fields Hospital nurses reinstated.

Oct. 5 - One Central Maine Medical Center and one Olympia Fields nurse reinstated.

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.