New Orleans, LA – On Monday, June 16, about 200 nurses, labor organizers and community members held a rally outside of the LCMC Health System Corporate Offices. They demanded that the University Medical Center, a hospital under the LCMC system, revoke the unjust termination notice of nurse Mike Robertshaw.

Robertshaw is an outspoken union leader of NOLA Nurses United who received notice of his termination on June 6.

Robertshaw has been a proud and unapologetic leader of the union since its beginning. He has been vocal about the target that he says he and many other nurses have on their backs because of their strong support of the union. “While I’ve been so lifted up by the support of the other nurses, we all know this is not about me. This is about our union and our fight for a fair contract,” said Robertshaw.

Nurses at University Medical Center (UMC) have been bargaining for a contract since successfully unionizing in December 2023. Since then, nurses say the hospital’s administration has been dragging their feet and refusing to negotiate in good faith. NOLA Nurses United (NNU) has gone on strike three times since unionizing at UMC, demonstrating the workers’ power and militancy.

Since UMC gave Robertshaw notice of termination, other nurses at the hospital have strongly rallied behind him in solidarity. NNU widely circulated a petition around the hospital demanding that UMC revoke Robertshaw’s termination notice, winning signatures from the majority of nurses. The petition was later hand-delivered to four department heads by nurses wearing buttons saying, “I’m with Mike #FairnessNow.” Additionally, over 100 nurses stood with Robertshaw during his hearing, letting the hospital know that they are not going to quit until the hospital does right by nurses.

The union will return to the bargaining table next week, with another strike looming on the horizon. Nurses at UMC are willing to escalate in defiance of the hospital’s blatant union-busting. As the rally began, the crowd chanted “Fire Mike? We go on strike!”

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