On Saturday, September 19, registered nurses at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center will assemble outside the hospital to call attention to patient‑safety problems and to build support for their unionization drive. The rally, scheduled for 8 a.m. on the public sidewalk at Franklin Square Drive and Hospital Drive, follows a petition filed with the National Labor Relations Board on Sept. 10 to hold a union election.
Why nurses are seeking a union
According to the National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), chronic understaffing, equipment shortages and delayed care have pushed the staff to seek collective bargaining power. “We are compelled to form a union because we see deteriorating conditions in our hospital,” said Katie Stancil‑Ervin, RN in the emergency department. “In the ER we are seeing patients held for hours without being admitted because there are not enough nurses in the units. We are seeing intensive care unit nurses taking care of three patients at a time, when they should have no more than two patients. We have broken equipment in the operating room that delays care. These chronic problems must be dealt with and MedStar has not been willing to do that. That is why we need a strong union contract to address these patient‑safety issues.”
Data on emergency‑room delays
The nurses pointed to a recent list from Becker’s Hospital Review that placed both MedStar Franklin Square and MedStar Washington Hospital Center among the longest emergency‑room stays in the nation for 2025. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reports a national average emergency‑room visit of 162 minutes. MedStar Franklin Square’s average was 367 minutes, and MedStar Washington Hospital Center’s was 377 minutes—more than double the national benchmark.
Financial backdrop
MedStar hospitals operate as not‑for‑profit institutions and receive substantial public support. The nurses highlighted that the system benefited from millions of dollars in tax breaks, federal and state grants, and $78.9 million in federal funding awards in 2025. In total, MedStar reported revenue exceeding one billion dollars in both 2024 and 2025.
Management’s response and next steps
Hospital officials have not publicly commented on the rally or the specific staffing concerns raised by the nurses. The union‑busting allegations remain unaddressed, and the upcoming NLRB‑ordered election will determine whether the staff can secure a collective bargaining agreement.
What this means for Baltimore families
For patients and families in Baltimore, the outcome of this effort could affect wait times, the quality of care in critical units and the overall safety of the hospital environment. Stronger staffing ratios and reliable equipment are core to the community’s health and to the well‑being of families who rely on MedStar Franklin Square for emergency and intensive‑care services.
The rally provides an opportunity for community members to hear directly from frontline caregivers and to consider how supporting a union contract might improve the safety and reliability of local health care.
Original reporting: Baltimore Fishbowl — read the source article.
