FORT KENT / HOULTON -- Nurses at two Aroostook County hospitals have voted to authorize a strike.

Registered nurses at Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent and at Houlton Regional Hospital voted to authorize their nurse bargaining teams to call a strike if the issues RNs have been raising in ongoing contract negotiations remain unresolved.

Northern Maine Medical Center nurses are voting on their first union contract.

They say they have been at the bargaining table for 16 months.

According to the nurses, patient safety and the ability to recruit and retain nurses are biggest issues.

They say they should be much closer to a deal.

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