NEW ORLEANS - LCMC Health nurses at the University Medical Center (UMC) New Orleans, a Level-1 Trauma Center, have announced plans for a third strike scheduled for May 1. The nurses are engaged in ongoing negotiations for a first union contract with LCMC Health and on April 21, members of the hospital’s contract bargaining committee delivered notice of their intent to strike to management.
The nurses are calling for improved patient-to-nurse ratios, the implementation of clear policies to prevent the potential workplace violence, a raise greater than the proposed 2–2.5%, and improved working conditions, including guaranteed breaks during 12-hour shifts.
“LCMC management has tried to stall our contract negotiations because they think they can wait us out,” said Heidi Tujague, RN in the emergency department. “But we are in this for every patient who will benefit from knowing we will have a contract that will improve our hospital. We’re striking for our patients.”
UMC nurses are represented by the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). They voted to unionize in Dec. 2023, becoming the first private-sector hospital in Louisiana with a unionized nursing staff. Bargaining for their first contract began in Mar. 2024. The first strike was held in Oct. 2024, followed by a second in Feb. 2025 that coincided with Super Bowl week. Both actions, union officials say, reflect the nurses’ continued commitment to securing better conditions and the widespread support they have received from the public.
The National Nurses Organizing Committee represents more than 600 registered nurses and nurse practitioners at University Medical Center and is affiliated with National Nurses United, the largest nurses union in the country.
LCMC Health, the parent organization of UMC, is responsible for responding to the union’s demands and engaging in contract negotiations. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) requires employers to bargain in good faith but does not have the authority to enforce contract terms or mandate agreements.
“It’s unfortunately no surprise that management has taken over a year on this,” said Shonda Franklin, RN in the UMC float pool. “But we won’t quit. We’re the ones taking care of our patients every day. What we’re asking for is enough nurses to do our jobs and enough respect in our hospital to be heard.”
The labor action at UMC is part of a broader national pattern in 2025, with a growing number of healthcare workers staging walkouts over staffing, safety, and compensation. In Oregon, the largest healthcare strike in the state’s history began in Jan. with roughly 5,000 employees—including nurses and physicians from Providence Health & Services—demanding better pay and staffing levels. That strike lasted 46 days and ended with a new contract that granted immediate raises between 16% and 22%, total wage increases of 20% to 42% over three years, and automatic penalty pay for missed meals and breaks.
National Nurses United now represents more than 225,000 registered nurses across the United States and continues to expand. Its 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.
