Ascension Nurses Rally Again Over Unsafe Ratios and ‘Unethical’ Investments

For the second year in a row, nurses from Saint Agnes Ascension Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, rallied in front of the Marriott Waterfront Hotel during the annual U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. 

Source: Nurses hold rally in front of convention

Nurses have been under negotiations with leadership for almost two years and hope that Catholic Church leaders will urge management to come to an agreement. Furthermore, the rally was held over the hospital’s financial investments and the continued prioritization of profits over patients. 

“We hope this is a wake-up call to the Catholic Church’s leadership that Ascension is far from the Catholic values it pretends to practice,” said Nicki Horvat, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit at Ascension St. Agnes in Baltimore, Maryland. “As union nurses who have lived Ascension’s hypocrisy, on our shifts and at the bargaining table, it’s still shocking sometimes to see just how far Ascension is from practicing what they preach. We want Ascension to do better: start by disclosing its investment holdings and then divest from these harmful corporations.”

Over 600 nurses are represented by the National Nurses United (NNU) after Saint Agnes joined the union at the end of 2023. 

The nurses are seeking the following, 

• Better nurse-to-patient ratios
• Do not assign nurses to units where they do not have experience
• Stop assigning patients to charge nurses

Why Rally?

The NNU claims the Catholic hospital’s investments are unethical. Investments include:

• Weapons manufacturers
• Military contractors
• Mining
• Oil
• Gas
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Gambling companies
• Fast food

These investments and holdings do not align with Catholic ideology. 

"As a Catholic institution, that really touts its faith, and says that it's the healing hands of Jesus, their actions don't line up with their mission statement," said Nicki Horvat, a registered nurse at Ascension.

Local clergy agree with the NNU and Ascension nurses. Father Ty Bolinger, leader at Our Lady Queen of Peace, said the investments violate Catholic social teaching and social ethics.

"The teaching is crystal clear, but time and again, they want to claim they're following these teachings of our church — which are about putting people and humanity and lives and the environment, creation first and foremost in all decision-making — and they continue to actually do the exact opposite," Bolinger said.

The NNU documented the "unethical investments" in the report called, “Rejecting the Call: How Ascension’s Unethical and Socially Irresponsible Investments Contravene Catholic Social Teaching.”

Ascension's Response 

Ascension released the following statement to WBAL NewsRadio:

“Our pension plan is a fully funded, well-managed and successful program that underscores our commitment to the well-being of our associates and ensures their financial security in retirement.

“Our investments are guided by our charitable Mission and align with the Socially Responsible Investment Guidelines of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. We follow faith-based standards to avoid investing directly in companies or sectors that conflict with Catholic social teaching.

‘The overwhelming majority of our portfolio supports innovation, health, sustainability and community well-being. Any suggestion otherwise is inaccurate and misleading. Like most large investors, some holdings—such as index investing—may indirectly include companies we would not actively choose. We regularly monitor our portfolio and continually work to phase out any investments that no longer meet our standards when possible.

“Importantly, every dollar generated through our investments is reinvested in patient care, associate wages and benefits, facility improvements, and services for those most in need.”

Nurses on Strike 

Source: Ascension Saint Agnes Nurses on Strike

In July, nurses held a 24-hour strike after 18 months of negotiations between the NNU and hospital management.

“This not only undermines the progress of negotiations between Saint Agnes and NNU, but also creates unnecessary hardship for our associates and their families, as well as concern for our patients and their loved ones,” a statement from management said. “Saint Agnes would prefer not to utilize these extended contracted services. However, we must make every provision to ensure the health and safety of our patients, families, providers and associates during NNU’s short-term strike.”

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