Nurses Protest Palantir’s Sweeping Attacks on Working People Across the Globe

Maine Medical Center registered nurses with the Maine State Nurses Association gathered in Portland on May Day to demand Maine Health cancel its contract with Palantir Technologies. Joined by their allies in the Purge Palantir campaign, nurses explained why leaders of Maine’s public institutions and health care organizations should refuse collaborations with the surveillance software giant. To date, Maine Health has denied nurses any details on the nature of its contract with Palantir. In March, RNs and community allies protested in front of Senator Susan Collins’ office to demand she return donations from the company.

The nurses also announced that, in partnership with the American Friends Service Committee and Purge Palantir, they are releasing a petition directed at Maine Health, demanding that it immediately discontinue its relationship with Palantir Technologies.

“May Day is International Workers Day, a day that recognizes the power of working people speaking up and speaking out when our communities are under threat,” said Andrew Gesler, RN, a registered nurse at Maine Medical Center. “Because of Maine Health’s decision to contract with Palantir Technologies, we are all under threat. As union workers and nurses,  we are demanding that Maine Health end its unholy relationship with one of the most evil corporations on the planet: Palantir Technologies.”

Founded by Peter Thiel and led by Susan Collins donor Alex Karp, Palantir’s data tools centralize and organize massive amounts of data collected by the federal government, including Medicaid data, to enable ICE to target, stalk, detain, and deport immigrants.

Grassroots efforts to reduce Palantir’s influence have been successful. Purge Palantir successfully pushed for New York City’s public health care agency to end its contract with Palantir. A growing list of Congressional members have publicly rejected Palantir’s campaign contributions – including U.S. representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Jason Crow, Pat Ryan and U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper.