Bangor Nurses Announce Strike for Safe Staffing and Fair Contract

Bangor Nurses Announce One-Day Strike Over Staffing and Contract Disputes

Registered nurses at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) in Bangor, Maine, have formally notified their employer of a planned one-day strike set for Monday, March 23. This marks the first such action by EMMC nurses since 2015, driven by ongoing disputes over staffing and nurse retention policies.

The nurses, represented by the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC), have been negotiating a new contract since July 2025. Despite their efforts, little progress has been made on critical issues, and their previous contract expired last September. The decision to issue a 10-day strike notice comes after a strike authorization vote earlier this week, providing the hospital time to arrange alternative patient care plans.

"Everything we do is to make sure our patients are safe and well taken care of," stated Erin Oberson, RN, a member of the EMMC negotiating team. "Everything we are asking for will improve the care of our patients. We have given management several months and every opportunity to come to a reasonable agreement with us. There is still time for them to make a deal."

Details of the Strike

Who: Registered nurses at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center

What: One-day strike for patient safety and a fair contract

When: Monday, March 23, 7 a.m. to Tuesday, March 24, 6:59 a.m.

Where: Northern Light EMMC, 489 State St., Bangor, Maine

Key unresolved issues include establishing safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, safeguarding health insurance benefits against significant cost increases, ensuring equal benefits for all nurses, and addressing pay disparities affecting women’s health care nurses. These nurses joined the union in 2024 and are seeking parity with other union members.

"Something has changed at EMMC," remarked Jessie Lambert, RN, another member of the negotiating team. "For most of the last decade, the administration of EMMC has worked with us every contract cycle to reach a fair and equitable union contract. But this time, they have taken an aggressive posture against us. They have refused to consider even our most common-sense proposals. Nurses’ patience is at an end and we’re ready to strike. Hopefully, EMMC will get serious at the table about safe staffing and maintaining our health benefits."

Earlier this year, on January 16, EMMC nurses organized a rally outside the hospital to draw attention to their contract demands. MSNA/NNOC represents approximately 900 nurses at Northern Light EMMC.

The Maine State Nurses Association is part of the National Nurses Organizing Committee, representing 4,000 nurses and caregivers across Maine. The NNOC is affiliated with National Nurses United, the largest labor union for registered nurses in the United States, boasting over 225,000 members nationwide.

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