Nurses at Children’s Hospital New Orleans in New Orleans, La., will hold a press conference on Friday, Sept. 27. At the press conference, nurses will detail their concerns about patient care conditions at the center of their unionization efforts. They will also speak out against LCMC Health’s retaliation against RNs organizing with National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) for a voice to advocate for their patients. 

Earlier this month, nurses at Children’s Hospital filed unfair labor practice (ULP) charges against LCMC Health with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). These charges detail LCMC’s egregious violations of RNs’ federally protected right to form a union. Nurses say more than 20 of their co-workers have been unfairly disciplined for organizing in recent weeks. 

“Our union will make our hospital a better place for our patients, their families, and our entire community,” said Mary Marrero, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s, who has worked at the hospital for more than three decades. “We need safe staffing and a voice for nurses— not union busting.”

Over a two month period last year, from October 31, 2023 to December 31, 2023, LCMC spent an astounding $1.4 million on anti-union consultants to fight UMC RNs’ union campaign. 

Who: Nurses from Children’s Hospital New Orleans and faith and community leaders
What: Press conference denouncing safety concerns and LCMC union busting 
When: Friday, Sept. 27, 8:30 a.m. 
Where: Children’s Hospital New Orleans, 200 Henry Clay Ave., near the main entrance

“RNs at Children’s are committed to providing the best care for our patients, which is why we’re forming a union,” said emergency room RN Bianca Ziegler. “Unfortunately, LCMC has responded to our organizing by harassing staff and regularly pulling us away from our patients for disciplinary meetings that disrupt patient care.”

At Friday’s press conference, Children’s Hospital nurses will be joined by UMC RNs, community leaders, including Pastor Shawn Anglim, and United Teachers of New Orleans president Dave Cash.

NNOC/NNU represents nearly 600 nurses at University Medical Center (UMC) in New Orleans, where nurses recently took action to speak out against LCMC’s delaying bargaining their first contract. Nurses at UMC won their union election in 2023. Nurses at both UMC and Children’s Hospital are calling on LCMC to stop union busting, to bargain in good faith with UMC nurses, and to respect Children’s Hospital nurses’ legally protected rights to organize.

National Nurses Organizing Committee is an affiliate of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with nearly 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates also include California Nurses Association, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.