RNs plan to demand better for nurses and patients

Nurses represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU) at two Orlando-area hospitals in Florida will hold rallies on March 5 as they begin negotiations on a new union contract with HCA, the largest hospital chain in the United States. 

Current contracts for nurses who work at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital in Kissimmee and at HCA Lake Monroe Hospital in Sanford will expire on May 31. Nurses say they’re prepared to make demands in their new agreements that will improve patient care by addressing critical issues with staffing, safety, and services at their hospitals.

“HCA is unmatched in the scale of its operations,” said Felipe Rodriguez, RN in the catheterization laboratory unit at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital. “You’d think that would mean they’re unmatched in the quality of care our patients get, but they’re really unmatched in extracting profit from each patient. We’re ready to fight for a contract that gives us what we need to take better care of our patients.”

In a new NNOC/NNU survey of nurses involved in HCA bargaining, 68 percent of nurses said they infrequently or never had enough staffing coverage to take their meal and rest breaks. Additionally, 84 percent said their assignments and responsibilities had increased in recent years, while 72 percent said patient care quality had decreased.

Who: Nurses from HCA Florida Osceola Hospital and HCA Lake Monroe Hospital
What: Contract bargaining kick-off rally
When: Tuesday, March 5, 7:30 a.m. for both rallies
Where:
HCA Florida Osceola Hospital
700 W. Oak St., Kissimmee, FL 34741

HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital
1401 W. Seminole Blvd., Sanford, FL 32771

“Nearly 10,000 HCA nurses will be bargaining new union contracts this year,” said Heather Cox-Faith, RN in the emergency services unit at HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital. “We’re excited to get this process underway, and we hope management will agree with us on how to improve our hospitals. Nurses know what’s best for our patients, and that’s exactly what we’re asking for.”

“This is going to be a historic year for thousands of nurses at HCA hospitals across the country, as NNOC/NNU will be bargaining at 18 hospitals in six states,” said Cathy Kennedy, RN and California Nurses Association/NNOC president. “Nurses in Orlando and Tampa will kick things off, and they won’t be alone as nurses in Texas, North Carolina, Kansas, Missouri, and Nevada will all be at the bargaining table in the coming months.”

A day prior to the Orlando-area rallies, NNOC/NNU nurses at Tampa-area HCA facilities in western Florida will also hold rallies to kick off their bargaining.

HCA, the largest health system in the country, advertises over 180 hospitals in its network. The company self-reported over $5.2 billion in profits in 2023 but regularly shuts down vital health services at its hospitals. According to Securities and Exchange Commission filings, HCA has reported more than $31.7 billion in profits since 2018 and executive compensation totalling hundreds of millions of dollars. HCA co-founder and major shareholder Thomas Frist, Jr., is reportedly among the 100 richest people on the planet, clocking in at around No. 60 on Bloomberg’s list of the world’s richest and at around No. 30 on the Forbes list of the 400 richest people in the United States with an estimated net worth of $25 to $27 billion.

National Nurses Organizing Committee represents more than 650 nurses at HCA Florida Osceola Hospital and nearly 350 at HCA Florida Lake Monroe Hospital, a total of more than 1,000 nurses at Orlando-area HCA facilities. NNOC is an affiliate of National Nurses United, the largest and fastest-growing union of registered nurses in the United States today, with nearly 225,000 members nationwide.