Union to File NLRB Objections After Disputed MedStar Nurse Election

Union Alleges Unfair Practices in Hospital Unionization Vote

Registered nurses at Baltimore's MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center recently took part in a pivotal vote on October 14 and 15, 2026, to decide if they would join the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the largest nurses union in the U.S. However, the election results remain undecided due to unresolved challenged ballots.

Concerns have been raised by the nurses and NNOC/NNU regarding the fairness of the election process. Allegations of illegal interference by the hospital's management have prompted NNOC/NNU to plan on filing objections with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) shortly.

Sandy Reding, RN and president of NNOC, expressed determination in the face of these challenges, stating, “Right now we have an inconclusive result, but we are confident we will eventually prevail. This is a prime example of the lengths that hospital corporations will go to silence nurses. MedStar Health was willing to spend enormous sums of money on expensive lawyers to union bust, instead of using that money to address the patient care needs in their hospital. They were even willing to break the law to stop us from unionizing and that is disgraceful. But rest assured, we will not give up on the patients at MedStar Franklin Square.”

The nurses encountered what they describe as a hostile anti-union campaign by the hospital's management in the lead-up to the vote. Reports indicate that management engaged in interrogation of nurses about their union stance, monitored their activities, and used security personnel to prevent nurses from discussing union matters with colleagues. Based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor, NNU estimates that MedStar Health invested between $28,000 to $40,000 weekly in efforts to counteract unionization.

The bargaining unit at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center comprises over 900 nurses. Meanwhile, NNOC/NNU already represents more than 2,200 nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center in Washington, D.C.

National Nurses United stands as the most extensive and rapidly expanding union and professional association for registered nurses across the United States, boasting over 225,000 members nationwide. NNU's affiliates include the 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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