Independent New Hampshire Journalism · Northfield, NHCorrection and update, Sept. 19, 2026, 2:41 p.m. EDT: An earlier version of this article said nurses at Concord Hospital had unionized, quoted a union statement and an unnamed labor organizer, and said the hospital had not released a detailed statement. In fact, the vote covered registered nurses at the hospital’s Laconia and Franklin campuses, the quoted union statement and organizer comment do not appear in the union’s announcement or in news coverage, and the hospital did issue a statement, according to the SEA/SEIU Local 1984 release and the Concord Monitor. The article now quotes the union president and the hospital from those sources, removes the unsupported quotes, and adds the status of contract talks as of August 2026.
Concord, NH — September 16, 2025
Registered nurses at Concord Hospital’s Laconia and Franklin campuses voted to join a union in September 2025, the first nurses at a private hospital in New Hampshire to do so. Union leaders and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders praised the vote as a step toward safer staffing and a stronger voice for nurses in patient care.
The nurses organized with the State Employees’ Association of New Hampshire, SEIU Local 1984, which announced the result on Sept. 4, 2025, after an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. The union called it the first private-sector hospital union in New Hampshire. The new unit covers roughly 150 registered nurses at the Laconia campus and about 24 at the Franklin campus, according to the union. Nurses at the main Concord campus were not part of the vote, the Concord Monitor reported.
“This is a monumental day for New Hampshire workers,” Rich Gulla, president of SEA/SEIU Local 1984, said in the union’s announcement. “The nurses at Concord Hospital – Laconia and Franklin have spoken loud and clear: they want a seat at the table.”
Sanders Praises Union Win
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT), a longtime advocate for organized labor and Medicare for All, celebrated the development on social media.
“The nurses at Concord Hospital made history by becoming New Hampshire’s first unionized nurses at a private hospital,” Sanders wrote. “All across the country doctors, nurses & thousands of health care workers are organizing to save our broken health care system. We appreciate what they do.”
A Growing Trend in Health Care Organizing
The unionization drive at Concord Hospital’s Laconia and Franklin campuses comes amid a broader wave of labor activity across the nation. From large urban hospitals to rural health systems, health care workers are increasingly seeking union representation to address understaffing, burnout, stagnant wages, and a lack of input in hospital decision-making.
In New Hampshire, where union density has traditionally been lower than neighboring states, this victory could inspire similar efforts at other hospitals and health care facilities.
The union said the vote could open the way for health care workers at other private hospitals in New Hampshire to pursue unionization.
What Comes Next
The vote began bargaining over a first contract. Nurses cited chronic staffing shortages, burnout and patient safety as their main concerns. As of August 2026, no first contract had been reached, and nurse-to-patient ratios had not yet been discussed at the table, the Concord Monitor reported.
“While we continue to believe that the collaborative working relationship we shared prior to the election offered the best path forward, we are prepared to move ahead in good faith,” Veronica Rosa, Concord Hospital’s chief advancement officer, told the Concord Monitor. “We respect our nurses’ decision and are committed to navigating the next steps together.”
“For us, this was never just about wages or benefits,” one registered nurse at the hospital said in the union’s announcement. “It’s about having a voice in how care is delivered, protecting our patients, and making sure nurses are respected for the work we do every single day.”
As the eyes of the state turn to Concord, the success of this organizing effort may set a precedent for health care workers across New Hampshire and beyond.
Corrections: Granite State Report corrects verified errors promptly and appends a dated note identifying what changed and when. The corrections policy and the corrections register are public, and correction notes are never removed.
