LEWISTON — The Maine State Nurses Association says it “prematurely” announced the reinstatement of one of the 20 nurses that Central Maine Medical Center fired or suspended last month.

The hospital, which is owned by national corporation Prime Healthcare, fired 15 nurses and suspended five others last month for what the Maine State Nurses Association says was retaliation for union activity. Both the hospital and Prime Healthcare have denied that union activity is the reason behind the disciplinary action.

The firings and suspensions received significant backlash, both from nurses and elected officials. Last month, Gov. Janet Mills wrote a letter to the president and CEO of CMMC to call for the nurses’ reinstatement.

The CMMC nurses voted to establish a union on Sept. 25.

On Monday, the union announced that one of these nurses had been reinstated. But on Wednesday, the union walked back that claim.

“News of the reinstatement of the CMMC nurse was premature,” the Maine State Nurses Association said in a written statement. “Union nurses are still fighting for all the suspended and terminated nurses to be reinstated”

Union officials didn’t say why they made the announcement in the first place.

CMMC reportedly said it didn’t reinstate any of the nurses. Spectrum News has reached out to the hospital.