Nurses at 10 SSM Dean Medical Group outpatient clinics in Dane County voted last week to form a union, with 71% supporting the effort, according to results announced Sept. 28, 2026. The vote involved 340 nurses at the clinics. The result follows a June union vote at SSM St. Mary’s Hospital in Madison, where nurses backed organizing by 89%. St. Mary’s nurses have filed charges with the National Labor Relations Board, alleging that SSM administration has refused to begin contract negotiations and engaged in anti-union activity. SSM has sought to have the hospital election results invalidated. Clinic nurses say they want to participate in decisions affecting their working conditions and patient care, and have linked their campaign to the treatment of their St. Mary’s colleagues. They say cuts and limited resources have increased demands on nurses. “For too long, policies have been handed down from SSM executives in St. Louis that force nurses to do more and more with fewer and fewer resources,” said Kat Doebler, a 30-year nurse at the SSM Health Outpatient Surgery Center. She said the conditions have contributed to burnout and the departure of experienced nurses, and called for nurses to have a seat at the table. SSM spokesperson Lisa Adams said the health system respects the clinic nurses’ decision and would work constructively through the next steps. The system, she said, would have preferred to keep working directly with nurses without a union. The clinic vote adds another organizing front at the St. Louis-based Catholic health system in the Madison area. Nurses at both the clinics and St. Mary’s have said their goal is to advocate for patients and improve their ability to provide care.