UMCNO Nurses to Strike Nov. 11-14 Over Staffing Retention Issues

Nurses at University Medical Center New Orleans Set to Strike Over Retention Concerns

Nurses at the University Medical Center New Orleans (UMCNO) in Louisiana are planning to initiate a three-day strike starting November 11. The strike aims to address ongoing issues related to nurse retention, which the hospital’s owner and operator, LCMC Health, has yet to resolve. The nurses are organized under the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU).

"We’re tired of LCMC’s revolving door strategy for staffing our hospital," stated Kisha Montes, a registered nurse in the behavioral health unit at UMCNO. Montes emphasized the challenge is not in recruiting skilled nurses to the Level 1 Trauma Center in New Orleans, but in retaining them, urging LCMC to collaborate on solutions to maintain adequate staffing for patient care.

Who: UMCNO nurses, community, and allies
What: Three-day strike for nurse retention
When: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 7 a.m. to Friday, Nov. 14, 6:59 a.m.
Rallies with speakers: Tuesday, Nov. 11, 9 a.m. and Wednesday, Nov. 12, 9 a.m.
Where: University Medical Center New Orleans, 2000 Canal St., New Orleans, La.; at the corner of Canal and Galvez

Ory Mire, a registered nurse in case management at UMCNO, highlighted the importance of retaining experienced staff for the hospital's long-term health. "There are centuries of nursing experience in our hospital, and we want to build on that," Mire said, noting that experienced staff play a crucial role in ensuring quality patient care.

The nurses at UMCNO achieved a significant milestone by voting to join the union and began negotiating their inaugural union contract with LCMC Health in March 2024. They have informed the hospital of their strike plans and will maintain a patient protection taskforce throughout the strike duration.

The NNOC/NNU represents approximately 600 nurses at UMCNO.

National Nurses United is recognized as the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the U.S., with over 225,000 members nationwide. NNU 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.