Nurses at University Medical Center say strike was empowering, they’re ready for a strong contract

Nurses at University Medical Center (UMC) in New Orleans, Louisiana, are returning to work today after last week’s two-day strike and a three-day management lockout over Super Bowl weekend. They say that, following their strike on February 5 and 6, they are eager to get back to patient care and to work out a strong first contract with LCMC Health management.

“We were ready to go back to work on Friday, but management decided instead to lock us out through the weekend,” said Hailey Dupre, RN in the endoscopy unit at UMC. “Some of our coworkers were invited back early, making clear that the lockout was a decision management made to try to punish us for striking. Regardless, we’re ready to get back to work with our patients, and we’re ready for movement at the bargaining table.”

After their historic union election in December 2023, UMC nurses have been in negotiations for a first contract since March 2024. Nurses say management’s attitude has been frustrating at the bargaining table, and key issues including staffing and nurse retention remain unaddressed. The two-day strike last week was the second by nurses at UMC, following a one-day strike in October 2024. Now, nurses are returning to UMC and will soon return to the negotiating table.

“We saw our movement of nurses out on the strike line last week. Now, we’re ready for movement at the table,” said Terry Mogilles, RN in the trauma orthopedic clinic at UMC. “We know management heard us from the strike line, and we’re ready to be heard when it comes to how we can make UMC a better, safer hospital for patients, staff, and the people of New Orleans. Enough is enough. It’s time for our contract to get done.”

UMC nurses are represented by National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), the nation’s largest nurses union. NNOC/NNU represents nearly 600 nurses at UMC.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 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.