Portland nurses win new three-year contract

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Group of nurses inside, smiling, holding large print outs of petition signer lists

Maine Medical Center RNs triumph after four months of bargaining

Staff report

National Nurse magazine - Jan | Feb | March 2026 Issue

After nearly four months of bargaining, nurses at Maine Medical Center (MMC) in Portland voted on Jan. 7 to ratify a new union contract that provides many new safety measures for patients and nurses, among other improvements. This three-year agreement is the second contract for the MMC nurses since they voted in 2021 to join Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC), an affiliate of National Nurses United. MMC nurses won their first contract in September 2022.

“We’re thrilled to have won so many improvements that will benefit our patients, our community, and the 2,500 nurses that work in our hospital,” said Meg Sinclair, RN in the emergency department and member of the union’s bargaining team. “We formed our union to have a real voice in patient care and to improve Maine Med for everyone. This historic agreement gives union nurses even greater power and voice to further improve patient care at Maine Med for the foreseeable future.”

Key gains in the new contract include workplace violence protections, such as increased security and weapons screening in the hospital to keep everyone safe, and increased nurse representation on MMC’s Workplace Violence Committee; no direct patient assignments for most charge nurses so they can focus on supporting staff; and increased meal break coverage so nurses can eat during their shifts. The new agreement includes a 21 percent increase over the life of the contract. The new pact covers the period Jan. 1, 2026 to Dec. 31, 2028.

“The overwhelming vote by union nurses to ratify this contract shows that we support the health and safety of our patients above all else,” said Janel Crowley, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit and member of the union bargaining team. “When people come to our hospital as patients, they can be sure that we will give them the best possible care and are more able to do that, now that we have these new contract provisions in place.”