NMMC nurses picket, announce federal charges against their employer

Registered nurses at Northern Maine Medical Center (NMMC) in Fort Kent, Maine, picketed outside their hospital today, calling on management to bargain in good faith. The nurses, who are represented by Maine State Nurses Association (MSNA), also announced that they are filing an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge against their employer.

"We wanted to start bargaining in March, but management didn't agree to meet until April," said Ami Maxwell, RN in NMMC's emergency department and union bargaining team member. "We should be getting close to a deal by now. But management is just dragging its feet. They've only met with us 12 times in eight months. They don't even meet us in person. These have been virtual meetings. NMMC needs to step up the pace and bargain in good faith. They may not want to, but it's their obligation under the law."

The NMMC nurses voted in January to join MSNA. The RNs first bargaining session with the Hospital was in April but bargaining has been slow due to management's unwillingness to meet and reluctance to bargain in good faith. This is why the union announced it is filing a ULP charge with the National Labor Relations Board tomororw. The union has offered NMMC more than 100 possible dates to bargain since March, but management so far has only met on seven of the dates the union has offered, for a total of 12 meetings since April.

"We formed our union to better serve our community, for more transparency from our hospital and to hold our employer accountable to its own stated values," said Bradley Martinez, RN in the emergency department and intensive care unit. "But from the very beginning of our organizing campaign, through our successful vote for the union and now in contract bargaining, NMMC continues to show us the same disrespect they always have. We're here today to show our employer, and our community, that we won't give up this fight because there's just too much at stake for us and for our patients."

Nurses at NMMC recently spoke out about the abrupt closure of the hospital's Child Adolescent Psychiatric Unit (CAPU), which followed the closure of NMMC's obstetrics unit in 2023.

"With all the closures of needed services and its constant foot-dragging at the bargaining table, NMMC behaves as if it is not accountable to anyone," said Maxwell. "But with the support of our community, we will keep fighting to make Northern Maine Medical Center the best place it can be for all of us."

Maine State Nurses Association is part of National Nurses Organizing Committee, representing 4,000 nurses and other caregivers from Portland to Fort Kent. NNOC is an affiliate of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest-growing labor union of registered nurses in the United States with nearly 225,000 members nationwide.