Workers plan to strike at 6 Illinois Prime Healthcare hospitals

Source: Chicago Tribune

By Lisa Schencker | lschencker@chicagotribune.com | Chicago Tribune
PUBLISHED: June 23, 2026 at 12:20 PM CDT | UPDATED: June 23, 2026 at 7:06 PM CDT

Skilled maintenance workers at six Prime Healthcare hospitals in Illinois plan to go on strike July 2, with their union alleging that Prime has interfered with their right to organize and bargain collectively.

More than 50 workers will be involved, and the strike will be open ended at this point, lasting until Prime returns to good faith bargaining, said Mia Korinke, a spokesperson for the union, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 399. Contract negotiations are ongoing, meaning the strike could still be averted.

The union members include workers who maintain HVAC systems, plumbing and other systems, according to the union, and they work across six hospitals: Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago; Saint Elizabeth Hospital in Chicago; Holy Family Medical Center in Des Plaines; Resurrection Medical Center in Chicago; Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston; and Saint Joseph Hospital in Elgin. Saint Elizabeth is closed, but workers still maintain the building, Korinke said.

The strike comes after the union filed 10 unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board earlier this month against Prime hospitals and MedSpace Services, which is a subsidiary of Prime Healthcare Management Inc. that provides management and support services within the Prime system.


Nurses and supporters hold a one-day strike on June 11, 2026, outside Saint Mary of Nazareth Hospital in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village neighborhood. It’s a Prime Healthcare hospital. (Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune)


Read more: https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/06/23/prime-healthcare-maintenance-worker-strike/