*RN Rally in Hialeah, Fla: Friday, Nov. 14 at 8:00 a.m.* 

Contracts expired for 1,000 nurses, nurses ready to escalate

Union nurses at Palmetto General Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, and Florida Medical Center, members of the National Nurses Organizing Committee (NNOC), are holding a rally on Friday, Nov. 14, at 8:00 a.m. at Palmetto General Hospital as contracts have expired since Sept. 30, 2025 and negotiations for new three-year agreements with Healthcare Services of America (HSA) have stalled.

Previously owned by Steward Healthcare, these health care systems were part of the largest bankruptcy in decades, causing serious strain on nurses and adequate health care for the surrounding community. Nurses are demanding the new interim owners, HSA, focus on patient safety, competitive compensation for nurse retention, and other provisions for job security and well-being.

“HSA has failed, up to this point, to address in any meaningful way our core demands of patient safety and employee retention,” commented Lazaro Garcia, an intensive care unit RN at Palmetto General Hospital.

Who:    RNs from HSA’s Palmetto General Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, and Florida Medical Center

What:   Rally for a fair new contract by NNOC registered nurses 
When:  Friday, Nov. 14, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.

Where: 2001 W 68th St, Hialeah, Fla. [south entrance to hospital off 68th St.]

Nurses at Palmetto General Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, and Florida Medical Center are among NNOC members who are bargaining for new contracts in 2025. Their key priorities are: enforceable staffing grids to ensure patient safety, hourly protections, higher wages, and improved benefits.

“We nurses are ready to do what it takes to win a fair deal,” commented Talaya McDermott-Harrison, RN at Florida Medical Center. “HSA has proposed takebacks at negotiations rather than creatively addressing our needs for patient safety and employee retention.”

NNOC/NNU represents 1,000 nurses at Palmetto General Hospital, Coral Gables Hospital, and Florida Medical Center.

National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.