NMMC Nurses Vote to Retain Union Representation

FORT KENT, Maine (WAGM) - Registered nurses at Northern Maine Medical Center (NMMC) in Fort Kent voted Tuesday evening to retain their union representation, rejecting an effort to decertify the union that was formed in 2024. The nurses are represented by the Maine State Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (MSNA/NNOC), which is affiliated with National Nurses United.

According to union representatives, the decertification effort was supported by the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation, a Virginia-based organization that has challenged unions at other hospitals, including Maine Medical Center in Portland in 2022. In that case, nurses also voted to keep their union.

The vote comes as union members and hospital management continue contract negotiations that began nearly two years ago. During that period, some nurses have raised concerns about workplace treatment, including allegations of retaliation and interference with union-related materials. Union representatives claim that nurses were excluded from a hospital-wide pay increase in March 2025 and that union materials were removed from work areas and personal lockers. Hospital officials have not publicly responded to those specific claims.

Union members say they view the vote as a reaffirmation of their desire for collective representation during negotiations. Representatives have stated that their goals include improved working conditions and patient care standards, and they are calling for continued negotiations toward a first contract.

The Maine State Nurses Association represents more than 4,000 nurses and caregivers across the state, from Portland to Fort Kent, and is affiliated with the National Nurses Organizing Committee, a national union representing registered nurses.