NNU has a history of calling strikes. If a strike occurs, all associates in the bargaining unit might be pressured to leave their patients and join the picket line.
NNU typically does not provide strike pay for members who join a strike, even though striking nurses do not receive pay from their employer during strikes. In fact, NNU has called four strikes already this year, and it has paid its nurses a total of $0.
So, what is the cost of striking?
What does union seniority really mean?
The truth is that union contracts can’t meet everyone’s needs. Here’s how seniority tends to play out:
While union contracts claim to promote fairness, they often end up favoring those who have been in the organization the longest. We believe in recognizing the skills and contributions of everyone, not just their length of service. It’s about making sure we have the best people in the right roles to support our patients and their families.
Joining a union may reduce your scheduling flexibility. Currently, you can work directly with your manager to request time off and schedule changes. In a unionized environment, these decisions are subject to a collective bargaining agreement, which may complicate approvals and enforce stricter rules.
Your requests may require adherence to a contract or union approval, which could potentially cause delays and prioritize those with seniority or closer ties to the union. Additionally, communication with your manager may become more formal, which can limit your ability to address scheduling issues easily. This shift can create a more rigid work environment, making personal advocacy for promotions more challenging, as these matters will be handled collectively rather than individually.
So, what could a union contract restrict or control?
If National Nurses United (NNU) unionize nurse associates at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center you will be required to pay monthly dues to NNU. Dues are deducted from your after-tax take home pay.
Currently, NNU dues are 2.2 times your base hourly wage each month, up to a maximum of $170.22 per month.
For example, if you are a full-time RN and earn $40 per hour you would owe the union $88.00 per month or $1,056 per year. Over the course of a typical three-year union contract, you would pay nearly $3,200 in union dues.
For part-time/per diem RNs who are paid for 52 hours or fewer per month, dues are a minimum of $85.11 per month, which could add up to a minimum of $1,021 per year.
When your base hourly rate increases, so does the amount you would pay in union dues. And you could be forced to pay even more dues since NNU has the right to raise dues at any time.
If a union election is held and a union is elected, it could take a year and a half or longer to negotiate a contract. While you wait for a contract, your employer is legally required to maintain status quo on wages, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. Changes cannot be made unless the union specifically agrees. Sometimes, a union will withhold agreement on employer proposals to secure an agreement on another issue that is important to the union.
In our region, nurses at two hospitals are experiencing this state of uncertainty firsthand. At Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital, nurses voted to unionize in November 2023, and as of May 2025 are still without a contract. Similarly, in Washington, D.C., nurses at George Washington University voted to unionize in July 2023, and as of today a contract has not been reached.
NNU and other unions might make a lot of promises, and they might sound appealing. But nothing is guaranteed during collective bargaining. If the union wins an election, it wins the right to negotiate on your behalf, but our hospital isn’t under any obligation to agree to anything. The union’s promises aren’t automatically granted, and the union can’t require that certain things be negotiated, even if it says it can.
Before you give away control of your MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center work experience to a union, consider this:
We respect our associates' right to make free and informed decisions. Further, we support our associates' legal right to choose for themselves whether or not to unionize.
We are aware that union organizers can be extremely persistent. We support Federal law that provides our associates with the following rights:
Our mission to provide extraordinary patient care is best accomplished when our associates' voices are heard, when we work directly with one another, and when associates speak for themselves and our patients without intervention from outside organizations.
Myth: "If we support a union, we might not get everything, but at least we'll get something."
Fact: Any changes would have to be negotiated between the union and MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center. Collective bargaining is a give-and-take process, and while both sides can put forth its proposals, there are no guarantees. And no one knows what a final contract will look like—you could get more, but you could also end up with the same as what you have today, or even less.
Myth: "With a union, we will decide what the policies and work rules are."
Fact: The union would not have a say in MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center's policies and day-to-day operations. Those matters are typically part of management rights, along with hiring and firing decisions, discipline, staffing and resourcing, and enforcing all policies, procedures, and work rules.
Myth: "A union will have the authority to select supervisors."
Fact: MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center would retain the authority to make management decisions, including who is selected to be a supervisor. Our expectation of all leaders is to exhibit fairness at all times. If you ever feel this is not the case, please reach out to Human Resources.