Nurses Demand Healthy Society, Oppose Corporate Greed on May Day 2026

Nurses Advocate for a Healthier Society, Oppose Corporate Profiteering

National Nurses United (NNU), the largest nurses union in the United States with over 225,000 members, is set to participate actively in the May Day Strong actions on May 1, 2026. This event serves as a platform for NNU to showcase the collective strength of working people to the Trump administration and the billionaire class, emphasizing unity and potential.

The union stands alongside communities nationwide, advocating for a future that prioritizes people over profit. Their demands include the abolition of ICE, cessation of warfare, an end to harmful policies, and increased funding for healthcare. Recent organizing successes in Southern hospitals highlight their approach to achieving a healthier society.

“Every day, we bear witness to the pain caused by this administration’s cruel and unjust policies,” stated Jamie Brown, RN and president of National Nurses United. “We see how our tax dollars are being used to enrich the billionaire class and leave the working people to suffer. But, as nurses, we care for one another, and I know that it is through care that our movement will grow and create a powerful force that will win the class war.”

Echoing this sentiment, Connor Smith, RN at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Ill., added, “Nurses are proud to help build a vision for a healthy society. Rush University nurses are excited to cast our ballots and to take part in May Day Strong events. As union members, we will not only have a say in our workplaces when we negotiate with our employers, but we will add our voices to the mighty chorus of the labor movement as we work together with our union siblings to build a world free of corporate domination.”

May Day, historically a day of resistance against corporate greed since 1886, when workers in Chicago fought for an eight-hour workday, is a significant occasion for NNU. They urge all working individuals who can, to avoid shopping or attending school and instead engage in creative disruptions.

To participate in a May Day Strong event nearby, visit www.mobilize.us/mayday.

Labor in Action

Nurses recognize the importance of challenging the billionaire-driven anti-union, anti-worker, and anti-immigrant agenda directly. Strikes are a long-standing method to disrupt the status quo and demonstrate the power of workers.

As preparations for May Day continue, nurses in New Orleans are gearing up for their own worker action. Nurses at University Medical Center New Orleans, Louisiana, have notified their employer, LCMC Health, of a five-day Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike starting May 1, 2026. They accuse the employer of bad-faith bargaining, extending contract negotiations for over two years.

“We want a contract that allows us to provide the best care possible to the people of New Orleans,” commented Umer Mukhtar, RN at University Medical Center New Orleans. “LCMC apparently doesn’t believe that laws about good-faith bargaining apply to them, so we are striking to hold them accountable to get what our patients deserve.”

NNU understands that work stoppages like these signal to hospital employers that nurses are prepared to organize and creatively disrupt to secure a better future.

This year, National Nurses United introduced their Vision for a Healthy Society, which aims for a good life for all. On May Day, NNU invites everyone who can to participate in activities that align with the vision’s objectives, including rights to free health care, quality education, a healthy environment, safe housing, unionized living-wage jobs, care, safety, and freedom from corporate control.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States, with over 225,000 members. 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.

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