Nurses at Northern Light EMMC Set to Strike Over Staffing and Benefits

Registered nurses at Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center (EMMC) in Bangor, Maine, have issued a 10-day notice to initiate a one-day strike on March 23. This marks their first action since 2015, focusing primarily on addressing hospital management's approach to staffing levels and nurse retention. The nurses, represented by the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC), have been engaged in contract negotiations since July 2025, following the expiration of their previous agreement last September.

With negotiations stalled, the nurses decided to serve the strike notice, urging the hospital to adjust its patient care arrangements accordingly. Erin Oberson, a registered nurse and member of the negotiating team, highlighted that their demands are centered around enhancing patient care and safety. She asserted, “We have given management several months and every opportunity to come to a reasonable agreement with us. There is still time for them to make a deal.”

The unresolved issues include establishing safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, maintaining health insurance benefits without significant cost hikes, ensuring equitable benefits for all nurses, and addressing pay disparities impacting women's health care nurses. Jessie Lambert, another negotiating team member, expressed concern over the hospital administration's approach, noting a deviation from past practices of achieving equitable agreements. “Nurses’ patience is at an end, and we’re ready to strike,” Lambert stated, urging the hospital to reevaluate its stance on staffing and health benefits. The MSNA/NNOC represents approximately 900 nurses at Northern Light EMMC and is part of National Nurses United, the nation's largest registered nurses union with over 225,000 members.