Nurses at Endeavor Health's Chicago-area hospitals say they have had enough. Nearly 3,000 of them are organizing to form a union, arguing that recent pay cuts and chronic understaffing have made bedside care tougher and put patient safety on the line. The effort focuses on four legacy North Shore hospitals and has shifted this spring from quiet conversations to a full public campaign. Nurses say the changes have hit long-time staff the hardest and have cost some of them thousands of dollars a year.
Organizing Push Goes Public
Organizers have rolled out an Instagram account called teamsternurses and are partnering with Teamsters Local 743 as they seek union representation at Evanston, Skokie, Glenbrook, and Highland Park hospitals, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The organizing drive reportedly simmered quietly for about a year before nurses started openly handing out fliers and talking with co-workers on the floors. Leaders say the long game is to spread the campaign across the entire Endeavor system, not just the four legacy hospitals.
Money And Metrics
The union push comes as Endeavor wrestles with steep settlement and integration costs. Industry reporting shows about $6.4 billion in revenue for 2025 and an operating loss of nearly $494 million in 2024. Becker's Hospital Review reports that Endeavor trimmed its operating loss in 2025 after settlement expenses eased. Tax and nonprofit filings reviewed by ProPublica show that CEO Gerald P. Gallagher received just over $5 million in total compensation in 2024, including a bonus of roughly $1.4 million.
Lawsuit And Safety Concerns
Several nurses sued Endeavor last year, alleging routine understaffing, unpaid overtime and decisions they say put patients at risk. Court records cited in reporting describe incidents that include a patient fall in an emergency room and a fatal blood transfusion with the wrong type, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Organizers, including ICU and ER nurses, say short staffing often leaves them responsible for more patients than they believe is safe and that disciplinary actions followed some of their organizing conversations. The lawsuit is still moving through the courts and remains a central grievance behind the unionizing effort.
Endeavor Responds
Endeavor has pushed back on broad accusations while emphasizing its stated focus on safe care and investment in its workforce. The system’s About page says it serves more than 1.3 million patients across Chicagoland and employs over 27,000 team members, figures highlighted as part of its identity after recent mergers, according to Endeavor Health. The company has declined to address specific disputes over pay and staffing beyond general statements about valuing nurses and working through integration challenges.
What Comes Next
Organizers say they plan to keep up their outreach inside the hospitals through the spring and aim to grow support beyond the four legacy facilities. If the campaign moves toward formal union representation, the next steps would typically involve filing petitions and possibly triggering National Labor Relations Board election procedures, a process that can stretch over several weeks or months. Any formal filings or public bargaining moves would quickly turn this organizing push into a full-on contract fight, one that patients, nurses and hospital leaders across the Chicago area will be watching closely.
