Joliet nurses lose jobs, at odds with new owners of Saint Joseph Hospital

Prime Healthcare fired seven nurses as it took over Saint Joseph Medical Center on Saturday, the Illinois Nurses Association said.

INA, the union that represents nurses at the Joliet hospital, said other nonunion workers also lost jobs as Prime Healthcare took ownership.

The job cuts reignite labor disputes that led to nurse strikes under the two previous owners of Saint Joseph Medical Center.

“We’re ready to build a positive relationship with Prime, but that can’t happen while the hospital is breaking our contract by cutting staff left and right,” Pat Meade, a nurse at the hospital and a board member at the INA, said in a news release from the union.

The union contends that “at least seven of our nurses were caught off guard with letters terminating their employment,” according to the release.

An unspecified number of jobs were cut among nonunion workers at the hospital, including those in areas of technology, translation, transportation and social work, the union said.

Prime Healthcare when asked about the staff reductions did not say how many jobs were cut.

The California-based company provided a statement saying 13,000 employees were involved in its acquisition of eight hospitals and other health care facilities in the Chicago area from Ascension.

“Prime has extended offers of employment to all associates, including all associates on leave and has also committed to holding positions open for associates while on leave,” the statement said.

In contrast, the INA said that nurses on maternity, medical and personal leave “received letters that said a job would not be guaranteed to them by Prime upon their return.”

Prime Healthcare on Saturday completed its acquisition of Saint Joseph Medical Center and seven other hospitals in the Chicago area acquired from Ascension.

The company said it used its “standard hiring practices” in the transaction.

Prime in a statement issued Saturday announcing the completion of its acquisition of eight former Ascension hospitals and affiliated facilities said it had “made offers of employment to substantially all associates.”

Prime also said it is committed to spend $250 million to invest in facility upgrades, capital improvements and technology investments.

Nurses at the Joliet hospital have had a contentious relationship with its two previous owners, Amita and Ascension.

Nurses went on strike for two weeks in 2020 before settling a contract with Amita.

Under Ascension ownership, nurses went on three two-day strikes in 2023 and 2024 before reaching a contract agreement.