Over 150 award-winning nurses at Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston – a member of the nonprofit Prime Healthcare Foundation – have submitted a petition opposing unionization to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), entitled “We the St. Francis Nurses Do NOT Want Union Representation.”

The petition, submitted on Oct. 12, 2026, expresses nurses’ concerns about pressure and intimidation to engage in unlawful activity beyond the protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The unlawful activity included unauthorized presence on hospital property, interference with hospital operations, and conduct that intimidates employees or patients and disrupts patient care. The petition reflects the voices of nurses who oppose union representation and wish to continue working directly with hospital leadership, free from coercion or intimidation.

“Nurses have every right to oppose union representation and to make that decision without fear, coercion, or intimidation,” said Rosenda M. Barrera, MSN, RN. “Appropriate disagreement and lawful advocacy have a place in labor relations, but threats, harassment, intimidation, targeting families or jeopardizing patient care do not. The overwhelming majority of nurses come to work every day committed to caring for their patients. Nothing about a labor dispute should disrupt that fundamental responsibility or the safety and dignity of patients, caregivers and their families.”

Such unlawful activities can disrupt patient care and hospital operations. In certain instances, law enforcement assistance has been requested when protesters allegedly entered private hospital property without authorization or obstructed access to emergency departments and hospital entrances. Patients, families and healthcare professionals deserve safe, unobstructed access to hospitals without fear of harassment or intimidation. Union organizing activities must respect these fundamental protections and must never interfere with the delivery of patient care.

These broader concerns are also reflected in a lawsuit filed on October 5, 2026, alleging that the California Nurses Association (CNA) and National Nurses United (NNU) engaged in conduct extending beyond lawful labor activity, including threats, harassment, intimidation and invasions of privacy. According to the complaint, employees who did not support union organizing experienced pressure, intimidation and harassment, including unwanted contact and uninvited visits to their homes. The lawsuit seeks to protect employees and their families from alleged harassment and intimidation and preserve their rights to make individual decisions regarding union representation.

The disturbing pattern of escalating conduct has occurred at other Prime Healthcare hospitals across the United States, and Prime Healthcare supports the efforts made by all of its valued employees to ensure their voices and perspectives are heard.

The petition underscores an important principle: the right to organize must coexist with the right of every employee to oppose union representation and make an independent decision without fear, coercion or intimidation.

The union has requested a postponement of the vote at Saint Francis Hospital citing false allegations of intimidation by management against nurses, despite moving forward with votes while alleging similar circumstances at Olympia Fields Hospital in the South Suburbs and Central Maine Health Care in Maine. The NLRB has since agreed to postpone the vote at Saint Francis indefinitely, but allowed the vote at Olympia Fields and Central Maine to proceed. This suggests the union requested postponement of the vote at Saint Francis because it feared they did not have enough votes to succeed.

Prime Healthcare respects employees’ rights to organize and engage in lawful union activity and maintains 42 collective bargaining agreements with unions across the country. The organization equally respects the rights of employees who choose not to be represented by a union and remains committed to fostering a workplace where all perspectives are heard and respected.

Prime Healthcare and the Prime Healthcare Foundation, which welcomed Saint Francis to its family of award-winning hospitals in 2025, have earned national recognition for its commitment to employees, workplace culture and patient care. In 2026, Prime Healthcare was recognized on Forbes’ America’s Best Employers by State list, an independent recognition reflecting employee assessments of their workplaces and willingness to recommend their employers. Prime also received multiple Newsweek workplace honors, including America’s Greatest Workplaces, America’s Greatest Workplaces by State and America’s Greatest Workplaces for Mental Wellbeing. Prime Healthcare was also recently named Employer of the Year by the California Association of Private Postsecondary Schools (CAPPS).

Prime Healthcare hospitals have earned the 100 Top Hospitals distinction 75 times, and the health system was recognized among the nation’s top 10 health systems for hospital safety by The Leapfrog Group in 2026.

Saint Francis Hospital’s nurses have achieved Magnet® Recognition with Distinction from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), the highest honor for nursing excellence. The prestigious designation reflects Saint Francis Hospital’s commitment to nursing excellence, leadership, evidence-based practice, superior patient care and a culture focused on continually improving patient outcomes. The hospital has also been recognized as number one in Illinois for Pay Equity and Top 5 in the state for health equity and patient safety by the Lown Institute, a “100 Great Community Hospitals” by Becker’s Healthcare, and earned an ‘A’ grade for hospital safety by the Leapfrog Group, among other accolades.

Throughout Illinois and across the nation, Prime Healthcare remains committed to fostering a workplace where nurses and all employees can speak freely, make independent decisions and focus on what matters most: providing compassionate, high-quality care to the patients and communities they serve.

About Prime Healthcare and Prime Healthcare Foundation

Prime Healthcare is an award-winning health system operating 55 hospitals and more than 360 outpatient locations in 15 states, providing over 3.0 million patient visits annually. It is one of the nation’s leading health systems, with more than 60,000 staff and affiliated physicians. Twenty-one of the Prime Healthcare hospitals are members of the Prime Healthcare Foundation, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit public charity. Based in Ontario, California, Prime Healthcare is nationally recognized for award-winning quality care and has been named a 10 Top and 15 Top Health System by Truven Health Analytics. Its hospitals have been named among the nation’s “100 Top Hospitals” 75 times, and Prime Healthcare is one of Healthgrades’ most awarded health systems in the nation for patient safety.

To learn more, please visit primehealthcare.com.

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