Chicago nurses hold strikes and protests over labor and divestment

Nurses in the Chicago area are engaging in multiple labor actions involving contract negotiations and divestment demands. In one movement, National Nurses United (NNU) organized protests at the Cook County Pension Fund. The union is demanding that the fund sever ties with Palantir, a surveillance technology company. Protesters expressed concerns that Palantir’s technology is used to automate staffing, worsen working conditions, and share patient data that could be used by immigration authorities.

Separately, nurses at Prime Healthcare-owned facilities, including Saint Mary of Nazareth and Olympia Fields hospitals, conducted a one-day strike. The workers are seeking a fair first contract and are protesting staffing shortages and the company's decision to shut down labor and delivery services at several area hospitals. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson joined the picket line to support the nurses, criticizing the for-profit entity for prioritizing profits over patient needs.