Ascension Accused of Retaliation Against Nurses After Safety Strike

Ascension Nurses Face Lockout After Strike

Registered nurses at two Ascension hospitals in Wichita, Kansas, are expressing their frustration as they remain locked out by Ascension management. This follows a one-day strike on July 6 by nurses at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis and St. Joseph hospitals. The nurses, represented by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), view this lockout as retaliatory.

“There’s no reason we can’t go into our hospitals today and take care of our patients,” stated Courtney Callum, an RN in the emergency department at St. Joseph. She added, “We might actually get a taste of safe staffing that way. Instead, Ascension management has decided to punish us for striking for patient and staff safety.”

The strike was initiated by nurses due to ongoing concerns about patient and staff safety and Ascension management's lack of action on these issues during contract negotiations.

Ann Vittitow, an RN in the emergency department at St. Francis, remarked, “We need Ascension to listen to us and work with us on implementing easy solutions. Instead, they are punishing us for standing up for our patients, our co-workers, and ourselves. We’re demanding safe hospitals and responsible management, and Ascension is working against us, not with us, on making that happen.”

The unionization of RNs at Ascension Via Christi St. Francis and St. Joseph began in 2022 and 2023, culminating in a historic first contract in 2024. NNOC/NNU currently represents nearly 1,200 nurses at the two hospitals.

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

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