Nurse Strikes In 2023: Where And Why Are They Happening?

As nurses demand fair wages and raise understaffing concerns, many have opted for one of two options: becoming a travel nurse or striking.

While travel nursing has allowed some nurses to work in new places and roles where they can earn the higher salary they deserve, nurses who prefer to work in permanent roles close to home have organized for better pay, lighter patient loads, and safer work environments.

In fact, 12% of all work stoppages in the United States were in the healthcare and social assistance industries in 2021. These industries also accounted for over half the workers involved in work stoppages (though mostly because of two huge “sympathy strikes” in California).

In this post, you’ll learn why nurses are striking, where nursing strikes are happening in 2023, and where strikes have taken place since 2021.

Why Are Nurses Striking?

Some nurses are striking because the unions that negotiate their contracts have been unable to come to an agreement with the hospital administrations.

Since the hospitals won’t meet their demands and nurses are critical to the functioning of a healthcare facility, it forces the hospitals to hire more expensive replacements. These temporary replacement workers are usually hired through travel nursing agencies.

Strikes are a way to put pressure on the hospital to comply with the nurses’ demands, and those demands usually include the following.

Better Pay And Benefits

There are a number of reasons nurses are advocating for higher wages and better benefits. 

Everything from inflation to the importance of nurses in healthcare infrastructure are reasons they want increased compensation.

Of course, the high demand for and limited supply of nurses is also driving the value nurses provide to hospitals. 

Finally, the increased risk of illness and workload during the pandemic have left many nurses feeling underappreciated and overworked.

Lighter Patient Loads

In a survey released in April of 2022, over 69% of nurses who responded said staffing is slightly worse or much worse recently.

That is about 20% higher than a September 2021 survey and almost 48% higher than a March 2021 survey.

The survey also found:

• Over 26% of nurses were reassigned to a clinical area that required skills they didn’t have. This was around 18% in September
• 46% of nurses were reassigned to units outside their area of expertise with no education or training
• Almost 65% of nurses said hospitals are using too much overtime to staff units

Nurses have said that excessive patient loads lower the quality of patient care. It causes burnout for nurses. 

By assigning them a more manageable workload, they believe they’ll be able to improve patient outcomes.

Mental Health Support

Almost 67% of the respondents from the survey above reported that they are afraid they will contract Covid-19. This number was 42% in September.

Even worse, nearly 84% said they feel stressed more often now than they did before the pandemic. In September the number was 53.5%.

Finally, 23% of nurses reported that they sought mental health treatment related to caring for patients during the pandemic.

Safer Work Environments

48% of respondents from the survey above reported rising levels of workplace violence. In September, this number was almost 31%, and in March it was just below 22%.

A 2016 BLS report showed that “violent events accounted for 12.2% of all injuries to registered nurses (RNs).”

Only 32% of nurses surveyed believed they were provided sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE). 24% thought their hospital informed them of Covid-19 exposures in a timely manner.

What Happens To Patients When Nurses Strike?

Although the thought of nurse strikes seems worrying, nurses and hospitals take precautions to ensure patients aren’t negatively affected.

While it’s arguable that temporary workers with little knowledge of new protocols could result in lower-quality care, there’s no substantial proof that patient outcomes are negatively affected.

Striking Nurses Provide Advance Notice

While protocols may vary from organization to organization, it’s common practice for RN’s to put safety mechanisms in place before striking.

For example, National Nurses United does the following:

• 10 day written notice to the hospital so there’s time to move patients or find temporary replacements
• A “Patient Protection Task Force” of RNs organizes the transfer of patients
• The task force assesses any emergency assistance requests that occur after the strike begins

Travel Nurses Fill Shortages

Even when nurses strike, hospitals are still required to have nurses on duty. To fill in the gaps, they hire temporary replacements like travel nurses.

In fact, some travel nursing agencies specialize in supplying hospitals with staff on short notice.

While replacement nurses are important for making sure patients are taken care of, it can lead to tensions when striking workers return to their posts and work with replacements.

Patients Are Transferred

Hospitals typically bring in temporary staff to help out during strikes, but they may also transfer patients to nearby healthcare facilities because of staffing shortages.

By organizing the transfer of patients, it ensures they receive the attention and quality care they need when workers are in short supply.

The Debate Over Patient Safety

An analysis of 50 nursing strikes over 20 years conducted in 2012 found that strikes had a negative impact on patient outcomes.

However, many of the hospitals from the study did not use replacement workers. 

Also, most of the strikes in the study lasted a month or longer. Many of the recent strikes (with a few exceptions) have been rather short, lasting less a week or even just one day.

This makes it difficult to understand whether or not the recent patient strikes have negatively affected patient outcomes.

Upcoming Nurse Strikes In 2023

October 4 – Present: Kaiser Permanente in Multiple States

Over 75,000 Kaiser Permanente workers began the biggest strike in US healthcare history on October 4, 2023. The strikes are happening at their facilities across multiple states, including:

• California
• Colorado
• Washington
• Oregon
• Virginia
• District of Columbia

The striking workers include licensed vocational nurses, certified nursing assistants, and many other types of healthcare employees. Even call representatives and housekeepers are participating.

Union groups have stated the point of the strike is “to protest unfair labor practices and Kaiser executives’ failure to bargain in good faith over unsafe staffing levels.”

While the strike is currently ongoing, Kaiser hospitals and emergency departments plan to stay open.

June 19: Providence, Multiple Oregon Hospitals

Roughly 1,900 nurses began a 5 day strike and walked out of multiple hospitals in Oregon. They feel frustrated with Providence and are aiming for higher wages, better working conditions as well as better working conditions for improved mental health which including more time off. The list of facilities where the walk out occurred is as follows:

• Providence Portland
• Providence Seaside
• Providence Home Health Hospice

The nurses will continue their strike through the week and hope that this will improve the conversations with their employer to receive better wages as well as better staffing conditions. There have been tense conversations between the nurses union and Providence and Providence has made it clear that it won’t resume negotiations until after the strike is complete. Providence did make an offer including 30 extra hours of PTO, a ratification bonus and retroactive pay. However, this was contigent on a strike not taking place so it will be interesting to see if that offer still holds.

January 4-Present: Multiple New York City Hospitals

About 12,000 nurses across seven different hospitals in New York began a strike on January 4, 2023. There is currently no set end date.

The healthcare facilities affected by the strike include:

• BronxCare Health System
• Flushing Hospital Medical Center
• Maimonides Medical Center
• Montefiore Bronx
• Mount Sinai Hospital
• Mount Sinai Morningside and West
• Richmond University Medical Center

The nurses are striking for improvements to halt widespread turnover and burnout by ensuring the hospital is equipped with enough staff and support for staff.

An additional 4,000 nurses planned to strike at New York-Presbyterian Hospital. However, it was averted after both sides reached a tentative agreement following the nurses’ one-day notice to walk out.

We will keep this page updated with new developments in the strike.

Nurse Strikes In 2022

Bloomberg Law reported that the potential for nursing strikes was elevated in 2022. This is because a lot of union contracts were set to expire. 

In fact, 318 contract expiration notices were submitted to the federal government. There were also 140 contract settlements set to expire. The expiring contracts may have affected up to 207,000 healthcare workers.

Some healthcare systems with contracts that expired last year include:

• University of California (14,600)
• New York City Hospital Alliance (10,000)
• Michigan Medicine (6,100)

Fortunately, many strikes were averted after nurses approved new contracts and received big raises.

December 24-January 2: Sutter Health’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland and Berkeley, CA

1,800 nurses at Sutter Health’s Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in California went on strike for nine days beginning on December 24, 2022. This was the union’s third walkout of the year.

The nurses are seeking a 40% wage increase, which the health system has deemed “well beyond their peers.” Striking nurses were also concerned about workplace violence and high turnover rates.

While no agreement has yet been reached, the system has offered nurses a four year, 22.4% wage increase.

September 22-24: Hartford HealthCare’s Windham Hospital in Willimantic, CT

Nurses at Hartford HealthCare’s Windham Hospital in Willimantic, CT organized a two-day strike which began on September 22, 2022. Their concerns included recruitment, retention, and adequate economic investments in staff.

Nurses had been working under their old contract which expired at the end of 2021.

However, on Decmeber 2, both sides reached an agreement on a new contract following the nearly year-long labor dispute.

September 14-17: Hospital in Twin Cities and Twin Ports in Minnesota

15,000 members of the Minnesota Nurses Association began a three-day strike at hospitals in Twin Cities and Twin Ports in Minnesota on September 13, 2022. The nurses were seeking increased staffing and improvements in working conditions.

Contracts had expired for Twin Cities nurses on May 31 and Twin Ports nurses on June 30. The union had begun negotiating a new contract two years prior.

The union later threatened and authorized another three-week strike over the holidays. However, the second strike was averted when the health system and union ratified new three-year contracts which addressed the staffing shortage.

July 15: Nurse Strike Averted At Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, OR

1,600 nurses at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland voted to authorize a strike on May 5, 2022.

This meant the union could have filed a 10-day notice for a strike at any time. However, the strike was averted after both sides approved a new two-year contract.

The union and hospital had been in negotiations for seven months.

Nurses were advocating for:

• Increased staffing
• Affordable healthcare
• Paid leave

June 23: Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Oakland, CA

About 1,200 nurses went on a one-day strike at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center in Oakland, CA on June 23, 2022. The union and hospital had been in negotiations since September, but the union said Kaiser had not addressed concerns regarding patient care and safe staffing.

According to the union, nurses were leaving the hospital because of a lack of support staff and being overworked. In fact, they claimed nurses were unable to take meal breaks during 12-hour shifts to the volume of work caused by staffing issues.

Kaiser averted a second, two-day strike scheduled for November after an agreement was reached in which nurses will receive a four-year contract with a 22.5% pay hike in addition to increased staffing.

May 23-June 23: Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, NJ

Nearly 350 nurses and hospital techs at Saint Michael’s Medical Center in Newark, NJ began a 31-day strike on May 23, 2022. Negotiations for a new contract began on March 28, and the recent contract expired on May 4.

The workers had a number of concerns regarding the approval of a new contract, including:

• Safety
• Staffing levels
• Health insurance
• Pensions

Fortunately, a new three-year contract was approved, and it addressed all of these concerns mentioned above.

April 25-29: Stanford Health Care and the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital In Palo Alto, CA

5,000 nurses went on strike at Stanford Health Care and the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital in Palo Alto, CA in April of 2022. 93% of nurses voted to authorize the strike.

They were seeking:

• Increased compensation
• More staffing
• Better mental health support

The union and hospital reached an agreement after a week-long strike. 83% of nurses voted to ratify the new contract.

April 18-19: Sutter Health In Northern California

More than 8,000 RNs and other healthcare workers organized a one-day strike at Sutter Health facilities in Northern California.

The striking nurses were concerned over short staffing problems. Picketing occurred at several locations, while the hospital brought in replacement workers.

Following the strike, those who participated were not allowed to return to work until April 23. During this time, they were not paid.

It does not appear the two sides have reached an agreement yet.

April 11-12: Howard University Hospital In Washington, D.C.

300 Registered Nurses and other healthcare workers at Howard University in Washington, D.C. organized a one-day strike on April 11, 2022.

The workers were requesting “a fair contract and safe staffing to protect patients.”

Despite months of negotiations, it does not appear that the union and hospital have reached an agreement.

March 30-31: AHMC Seton Medical Center In Daly City, CA

Nurses at AHMC Seton Medical Center in Daly City, CA organized a one-day strike on March 30, 2022.

The nurses were upset over a lack of:

• Staffing of nurses
• Support staff
• Supplies like gloves, syringes, and gowns

The hospital says the reason for the labor dispute is the demand for higher wages, and they claim the demands aren’t sustainable for the hospital.

The two parties were unable to come to an agreement, and a second two-day strike occurred on June 22. It appears there is still no agreement.

March 13-17: Armstrong County Memorial Hospital In Kittanning, PA

Over 200 nurses at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital in Kittanning, PA began a 5-day strike on March 13, 2022.

It was the first strike at the hospital in more than two decades. Nurses were concerned over insufficient staffing and inadequate recruitment.

It does not appear the union and hospital have come to a resolution.

March 8, 2021 – January 3, 2022: Saint Vincent Hospital In Worcester, MA

800 nurses were involved in a strike at Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester, MA that lasted 301 days.

The striking nurses were advocating for patient safety. They claimed the hospital wasn’t doing enough to address understaffing issues.

In a vote of 487-9, nurses ratified a contract on January 3 after a tentative deal was reached by the union and hospital on December 27. Features of the new contract included:

• Pay increases
• Clearer rules regarding workplace violence
• More manageable workloads

The contract lasts until December 2025.

Nurse Strikes In 2021

There were 14 strikes involving healthcare workers in 2021 in the United States.

Of those 14, the following seven involved nurses.

October 17-20: Abbott Northwestern WestHealth In Plymouth, MN

Allina Health temporarily suspended emergency and urgent care services at Abbott Northwestern WestHealth in Plymouth, MN from October 17 until October 20.

The strike involved 50 nurses demanding fair holiday pay and appropriate benefits. 

After seven attempts at negotiation that lasted months, the Minnesota Nurses Association and hospital could not come to an agreement.

The strike did not result in a settlement.

October 1 – November 4: Mercy Hospital In Buffalo, NY

Nearly 2,000 hospital workers began a strike at Catholic Health’s Mercy Hospital of Buffalo on October 1. 

The nurses were striking for improved wages and increased staffing. In an open letter, Mercy Hospital workers wrote:

“Our hospital, and the hospitals throughout the Catholic Health system, are dangerously understaffed… Every day, we are terrified of needless patient deaths in our hospital because we are stretched so thin.”

The union and Catholic Health System reached a tentative agreement on November 4.

June 24-25: Cook County Health in Chicago, IL

Over 900 nurses went on strike regarding concerns over understaffing at:

• John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital
• Provident Hospital
• Cook County Health system’s clinics
• Cook County Department of Corrections

The strike lasted one day and an agreement was reached. RNs received pay increases from 12% to 31% and Cook County Health agreed to add 300 nurses. 

They also added 19 new patient care support positions in several units.

June 1-4: Logan Health In Kalispell, MT

About 650 nurses went on a 4-day strike at Logan Health in Kalispell, MT starting on June 1. 

They were seeking increased compensation and staffing. Negotiations between the union and hospital lasted for two years and were in the public eye at times. 

While the strike only lasted a few days, a union contract was agreed to in September which included a 7% wage increase for RNs.

May 25-26: Chinese Hospital In San Francisco, CA

About 100 RNs working at Chinese Hospital in San Francisco, CA carried out a one-day strike in May. They were seeking improvements in pay as well as working conditions.

The strike’s activities included:

• Picketing outside the hospital
• A march to Portsmouth Square in the city’s Chinatown area
• A Zoom rally

The union and hospital came to a tentative agreement in October of 2021. The new contract featured improved compensation and benefits as well as new opportunities for advancement.

One RN from the hospital also boasted that the agreement could help the hospital “recruit and retain experienced nurses, especially the bilingual nurses who are so critical for our patient population.”

April 21-24: Tyler Memorial Hospital in Tunkhannock, PA

84 healthcare workers at Tyler Memorial Hospital in Tunkhannock, PA, including nurses, went on strike advocating for better staffing and pay.

The workers also claimed that Community Health Systems, the Tennessee-based, for-profit corporation that owns the hospital, has given raises to executives while failing to invest adequately in bedside care.

It doesn’t appear that the nurses’ demands were met, and the hospital ceased surgical and acute inpatient care in September 2021. However, the hospital continues to offer emergency and outpatient services.

April 16-18: Barton Memorial Hospital In South Lake Tahoe, CA

About 155 nurses went on strike at Barton Memorial Hospital in South Lake Tahoe, CA in April 2021. 

The nurses complained of inadequate staffing and problems with nurse retention and recruitment.

Negotiations between the union and hospital began in March 2018. Nurses went on strike for the first time in 2019, but to no avail. 

It appears the most recent strike didn’t help the two parties reach an agreement either.

Conclusion

There’s no denying that nurses are some of the most in-demand workers right now. Since they are so critical to healthcare infrastructure, they have more freedom to raise concerns over fair labor practices.

As it stands, more nurses are gearing up to retire or leave the industry soon. In fact, over one-third of nurses reported it’s very likely they’ll leave their roles by the end of 2022.

As nurses continue to drop out of the industry, the demand for their skills will continue to increase.

If you’re looking to become an RN or advance your nursing career, consider enrolling in an educational program. While RNs are desperately needed, nurses with advanced education and skills are even more valuable to the healthcare system.