Healthcare workers rally for TPS restoration; Central Maine nurses vote to unionize after 20 disciplined

On Sept. 25, 2026, two related labor and care issues drew national attention. Healthcare workers participated in a coordinated day of action called "Healthcare Needs All of Us" to protest the Trump Administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for care workers. Separately, nurses at Central Maine Medical Center (CMMC) voted to form a union after the hospital disciplined 20 nurses for actions tied to patient advocacy.

Coalition members and frontline staff rallied in multiple cities, including New York City and Rochester, to demand restored legal status for TPS holders who work in health care. Licensed Practical Nurse Joy Montague said that since TPS ended, facilities are understaffed and remaining staff are stretched to the limit. Montague added that some seniors have lost longtime caregivers when those workers could no longer work.

Organizers in Rochester reported that health care providers in the area have closed or cut services in response to the policy changes. The coalition framed the rallies as a direct response to how immigration policy changes affect staffing and patient access to care.

Central Maine Medical Center union vote and disciplinary dispute

Late Sept. 24, nurses at CMMC voted to form a union. The vote followed high-profile personnel actions: 15 nurses were fired and 5 suspended after incidents tied to patient advocacy. Nurses staged an informal picket the prior week to protest what they described as retaliation.

The new union plans to push for reinstatement of the 20 disciplined workers and intends to file unfair labor practice charges. The Maine AFL-CIO said Prime Healthcare, CMMC's parent company, has engaged in similar union-busting tactics at other hospitals it owns.

Prime Healthcare's response and the political reaction

Governor Janet Mills publicly urged Prime Healthcare to reinstate the disciplined nurses. She wrote that failure to do so would make clear that Prime Healthcare is prioritizing corporate interests over commitments made to the State of Maine to deliver expected health care.

The union will continue organizing at CMMC and pursue legal remedies through unfair labor practice charges seeking reinstatement of the disciplined nurses. On the TPS front, activists and healthcare workers will continue pressure campaigns to restore legal status for affected care workers, arguing the policy decisions have immediate effects on staffing and patient services.

• For patients: local service reductions and closures have been reported in some places where TPS holders provided care.

• For employers: Prime Healthcare faces unionization at CMMC and scrutiny over its disciplinary practices and organizing response.

Two intertwined labor issues surfaced on Sept. 25: immigration policy's effect on health care staffing and a concrete union victory at a Maine hospital amid contested discipline. Both campaigns point to immediate operational impacts for care delivery and to legal and political fights ahead.