Here are 13 updates on unionization efforts at hospitals, health systems and medical groups since Oct. 1, 2025 as reported by Becker’s:
1. Nurses at University Medical Center New Orleans, represented by National Nurses United, plan to begin a three-day strike Nov. 11 — the hospital’s fifth since October 2024. The union represents 600 nurses at the hospital.
2. Members of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West at eight Sutter Health facilities in Northern California approved a new labor contract. Approved by a 98% margin, the deal averts a strike by more than 4,700 employees. Members work at eight Sutter Health facilities across nine cities: Oakland, Santa Rosa, Roseville, Berkeley, Lakeport, Vallejo, Antioch, Castro Valley and San Francisco.
3. University of Massachusetts resident physicians, interns and fellows employed through Worcester-based UMass Chan Medical School reached a tentative labor contract Oct. 23. The tentative deal covers about 700 unionized physicians represented by Service Employees International Union’s Committee of Interns and Residents.
4. Doctors Council-represented primary care and urgent care providers at clinics operated by Minneapolis-based Allina Health are set to strike on Nov. 5. The 600-member union includes physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners. Allina has 12 hospital campuses, more than 60 primary care clinics, 20 same-day and urgent care centers, and 27,865 care team members total.
5. Members of the California Nurses Association planned to strike Oct. 30 at six Tenet Healthcare hospitals in California: San Ramon Medical Center, Doctors Hospital of Manteca, Doctors Medical Center in Modesto, Turlock-based Emanuel Medical Center, Palm Springs-based Desert Regional Medical Center and Joshua Tree-based Hi-Desert Medical Center.
6. Members of the California Nurses Association planned to strike Oct. 30 at Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital in Los Angeles.
7. Tens of thousands of Kaiser Permanente workers across multiple states ended their planned five-day strike, union leaders and the health system said in statements shared with Becker’s. Oakland, Calif.-based Kaiser said it was resuming normal operations and welcoming back the approximately 30,000 Alliance of Health Care Unions-represented employees who were returning from the strike that ended Oct. 19.
8. Members of the Hawaii Teamsters Local 996 planned to strike Oct. 17 at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children in Honolulu. The union represents technicians, housekeeping, dietary employees and other workers at the hospital.
9. Nurses, technicians and professionals across two Pennsylvania Association of Staff Nurses and Allied Professionals-represented locals within Philadelphia-based Temple Health ratified three-year labor contracts.
10. Members of SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West at eight Sutter Health hospitals in Northern California reached tentative agreements on new labor contracts with management.
11. Members of SEIU Local 1107 at Las Vegas-based Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center ratified their first labor contract. The agreement covers nearly 300 laboratory medical technologists, medical social workers, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists and speech-language pathologists.
12. A union vote scheduled for Oct. 5-7 for nurses at four UnityPoint Health hospitals in central Iowa was postponed indefinitely due to the government shutdown, a spokesperson for the health system confirmed to Becker’s. The National Labor Relations Board, which oversees the vote and issued a notice about the postponement of representation elections and hearings, has not told West Des Moines, Iowa-based UnityPoint Health how long the delay will last.
13. More than 300 nurses and technicians at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital in Kittanning, Pa., ratified new three-year labor contracts that include provisions aimed at addressing patient safety, workplace security and fair scheduling.
