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Illinois

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Large group of nurses hold banner "Safe Staffing Ratios Save Lives""

Legislation updates

Illinois Safe Patient Limits Act Fact Sheet

Illinois has no law limiting the number of patients a registered nurse can care for at one time. As a result, registered nurses are consistently required to care for more patients than is safe, compromising patient care and negatively impacting patient outcomes.

The Safe Patient Limits Act requires hospitals to annually develop safe staffing plans that meet the bill’s RN patient limits and provide for additional staffing based on individual patient care needs. Learn more by reading our fact sheet »

Nurse Licensure Compact Legislation — Opposition Fact Sheet

NNOC-Illinois/National Nurses United urges you to oppose H.B. 1338, H.B. 1652, H.B. 1706, H.B. 2614, S.B. 102, and any other Nurse Licensure Compact or Universal Recognition of Occupational Licenses (Compact) legislation introduced this session. Learn why by reading our fact sheet »

Press releases

Large group of nurses with raised fists, NNOC logo

RNs at Prime Saint Mary of Nazareth to protest Wednesday their employer’s illegal crackdown of their efforts to unionize

Registered nurses with Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago are holding a rally Wednesday, May 27 at the hospital to protest their employer Prime Healthcare’s flagrantly illegal crackdown on their efforts to unionize, which include the recent firing of four nurse leaders.

National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United
May 25, 2026

Large group of nurses inside, mostly wearing red, smiling, with raised fists

Chicago nurses win historic union vote to join National Nurses Organizing Committee

Nurses at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, say they voted to join the union because it is critical that nurses have a say in making decisions about staffing and working conditions, which leads to improved patient care.

National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United
May 18, 2026

Group of nurses outside, smiling, holdinhg signs "Chicago Supports Nurses at Rush"

Rush University nurses to hold union election in May

Registered nurses at Rush University Medical Center (Rush) in Chicago, Ill., will be voting on May 14, 15, and 16 to join National Nurses Organizing Committee, an affiliate of National Nurses United. Rush nurses filed a petition for a union election on April 8. It was Chicago's largest filing on record for a union election in the health care sector, and one of the largest in any industry in a city famous for its union strength.

National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United
April 17, 2026

Large group of people outside, smiling, holding signs "Chicago Supports Nurses At RUSH"

Rush University nurses file petition for union election

Registered nurses at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Ill., will hold a press conference on Thursday, April 9 at 11:30 a.m., to announce filing a petition on April 8 with the National Labor Relations Board for a union election.

National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United
April 8, 2026

Headshot of Patty Garcia smiling, NNU logo

National Nurses United endorses Patty Garcia for Illinois’ 4th District

National Nurses United (NNU), the largest union of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members, today announced its endorsement of Patty Garcia for Illinois’ 4th

National Nurses United
March 11, 2026

Articles

Group of nurses smiling with raised fists, holding banner "National Nurses Organizing Committee"

UChicago Ingalls RNs win strong contract

Registered nurses at UChicago Medicine Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Ill. voted overwhelmingly in favor of ratifying a new four-year contract on April 7, winning protections to improve patient safety and nurse retention.

July 9, 2025

Nurses walking outside hospital with raised fists

Never Giving Up

Cook County nurses won a months-long battle to get the retention retroactive pay they won in a contract extension. Don’t give up,” said Brenda Langford, RN, PPC member, chief nurse representative at Chicago’s Stroger Hospital, and an NNOC board member. “It does take time to win a campaign, and it can take multiple campaigns to hold management accountable."

December 20, 2024

Group of nurses smiling and holding raised fists

Chicago nurses score contract victory

Registered nurses at UChicago Medicine in Chicago, Ill., voted overwhelmingly in March to approve a new four-year agreement that addresses numerous patient safety concerns. In February the nurses voted 97 percent in favor of authorizing their nurse bargaining committee to call a one-day strike if management did not address their chronic staffing concerns.

June 5, 2024

Group of nurses picketing outside of hospital, dressed for cold weather

UChicago nurses rally for safe staffing

Registered nurses at UChicago Medicine in February authorized a strike after holding an informational picket and rally to demand the university address their patient safety concerns and settle their contract in a timely manner. National Nurses Organizing Committee represents 2,800 nurses at UChicago Medicine.

March 29, 2024

Group of nurses sitting at table with microphone for legislative hearing

Nurses fight for state safe staffing law

Registered nurses with National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United joined labor allies on Oct. 3 at a legislative hearing to rebuke industry efforts to reduce staffing in health care systems and nursing homes.

January 12, 2024

Videos

Our legacy: Building union power at UChicago Medicine Ingalls

In February 2021, registered nurses at UChicago Medicine Ingalls in Harvey, Ill., a south suburb of Chicago, voted overwhelmingly to ratify their historic first contract.

NNOC/NNU
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Chicago, IL 60661
Phone: 312-491-4900
Fax: 312-491-9614

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