Nurses say that instead of wasting resources fighting them, SSM executives should respect their 89% vote to unionize and work collaboratively with them to solve the urgent  crisis of understaffing, burnout and turnover 

Madison, Wis. – St. Mary’s Hospital nurses have filed official charges against corporate owner SSM for breaking federal labor law by refusing to negotiate a union contract and violating their rights. The charges were filed with the National Labor Relations Board and include failing to engage in negotiations, as required under the law; discriminating against nurses by prohibiting union information while allowing non-union information; destroying and confiscating the nurses’ union information and materials; and threatening nurses with discipline for activities supporting their union. Nurses say that instead of wasting resources fighting them, SSM should respect their 89% vote to unionize and work collaboratively with them to solve the urgent crisis of extreme understaffing, burnout and loss of experienced nurses in their hospital. 

St. Mary’s nurses have repeatedly reached out to SSM, urging them to end their anti-union campaign and start negotiations so they can raise standards for their patients and profession. Nurses say they are more united, confident and determined than ever to win a strong contract. 

“SSM should be investing in staffing, support and retention of nurses, not wasting time and resources fighting our union, which is our voice to speak up for our patients,” said Hannah Joers, who works in the Cardiac Cath Lab at St. Mary’s. “I’ve always had a drive for helping people and I’m proud to serve patients in my community. But because SSM staffs based on ‘productivity grids’ rather than patients’ sickness level, it’s very challenging for nurses to provide the level of care we believe in. Our number one goal is to win a contract which better takes patients’ level of sickness into account for staffing, and makes sure that we keep nurses by the bedside. SSM executives in St. Louis are abusing our empathy, making us do more and more with less and less. We’ve had enough, and the time has come to transform the system so that our patients’ needs come first. We will never back down and we are 1,000% determined to win a strong contract to provide the highest quality patient care.”

On July 22, the National Labor Relations Board regional office overruled the objections of SSM Health and certified the union election for almost 900 nurses at St. Mary’s hospital. Nurses had voted by a landslide to form their union on June 11, the largest private sector union election in recent state history. Inspired by that historic victory, 380 nurses at 10 SSM Dean outpatient clinics throughout Dane County petitioned for their union election on Aug. 10 and are heading toward their vote on September 22 to 25. 

The elections at St. Mary’s Hospital and Dean clinics are part of a growing national wave of healthcare professionals – including nurses, doctors and others – organizing unions to have a strong voice and seat at the decision-making table. The surge in union organizing is in response to the consolidation of corporate power in the healthcare industry, where decisions are increasingly made by business executives in boardrooms, rather than healthcare professionals at the bedside. Healthcare corporations too often prioritize expansion, branding and executive compensation over the needs of patients, healthcare professionals say. This unbridled expansion of corporate power is also reflected in the wider economy, where rich elites are hoarding massive wealth while working Americans are struggling to survive with the rising cost of gas, groceries, housing and utilities. 

Because of SSM’s relentless drive to make nurses take care of more patients with fewer resources, staffing levels at St. Mary’s are around 40% below the Madison Metro average – ranking last out of seven area hospitals – according to Medicare data. Multiple clinical studies confirm that adequate nurse staffing levels are absolutely critical for patient safety and quality of care. 

Throughout their efforts, St. Mary’s nurses were supported by union nurses at UW Health and Meriter. Meriter nurses have been able to negotiate a strong union contract with a voice in staffing, a pay scale that rewards years of experience, fair scheduling and other supportive policies. Now, St. Mary’s nurses are looking forward to working with those other union nurses and their coworkers in the Dean clinics to continue building a region-wide movement for higher patient care standards.

Nurses, elected leaders, patients and community members are deeply concerned about SSM’s reckless anti-union pressure campaign, which is especially harmful in a healthcare setting. These types of intimidation campaigns waste precious resources, distract from patient care and put incredible stress on an already overburdened workforce. Nurses and community members say that the conduct of SSM, which is based in St. Louis, violates local Madison and Wisconsin values, as well as the long history of strong Catholic social teaching from popes and American bishops. 

While St. Mary’s nurses have been struggling, SSM had $12.6 billion in operating revenue, $1.1 billion in cash and cash equivalents, and $483 million in profits last year, and SSM’s CEO had $7.8 million in compensation in 2024. Nurses say SSM has both the moral responsibility and the resources to address their concerns and negotiate a contract that ensures St. Mary’s is the healthcare provider and employer of choice.