Unionized nurses at Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital in Southwest Baltimore are gearing up to hit the picket line again next week, planning what would be their second walkout in about a year as contract talks with the Catholic health system remain stuck. The roughly 600‑member nursing chapter says the planned action is aimed at winning a first contract that locks in safe staffing standards and reins in mandatory floating between units. Hospital leaders have previously said patient care continued during prior short strikes, but another walkout could ramp up pressure on one of the city’s largest safety‑net hospitals.
According to the Baltimore Business Journal, Saint Agnes registered nurses intend to picket next week as negotiations stall. The outlet notes this is essentially a sequel to last year’s strike over the same core issues and reports that nurses have been at the bargaining table for a first contract since their 2023 union vote.
Nurses at Saint Agnes voted to join the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United in November 2023, and union leaders say bargaining has been underway since January 2024. Local coverage of last year’s action and the union’s demands has highlighted concerns about short‑staffing, high turnover and the hospital’s reliance on floating to fill holes in the schedule. CBS Baltimore reported on those issues during the 2025 walkout.
What nurses are demanding
Registered nurses say they are pushing for enforceable nurse‑to‑patient staffing ratios, clear limits on floating, and contract language that prevents charge nurses from carrying their own patient assignments so they can focus on supervising care. "We are seeing experienced nurses leave our hospital and the nursing profession altogether due to the working conditions at Saint Agnes," one bargaining team member said in union materials. Those proposals, framed as a "Patients First" package, are described by the union as the central items they want in a first contract, according to National Nurses United.
Hospital response and patient care
Ascension leadership has previously said the hospital stayed open and fully operational during last year’s one‑day strike, with contingency staffing plans deployed to protect patients. Statements reported by CBS Baltimore indicate the system is emphasizing continuity of care while negotiations continue.
Legal context
Union leaders earlier filed unfair‑labor‑practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging management interference during the organizing drive. The union says the complaint triggered a federal review. Those filings and related union statements are laid out in 2023 records from National Nurses United.
What’s next
The picket planned for next week will be an early test of whether renewed pressure nudges negotiations forward or sets the stage for more escalation, according to the Baltimore Business Journal. Observers will be watching for a formal schedule from the union and any public response from Ascension as the date approaches.
