Members of the Michigan Nurses Affiliation voted to authorize nurse negotiation leaders to name a strike on the College of Michigan.
The union, an affiliate of Nationwide Nurses United and AFL-CIO, represents about 13,000 registered nurses and healthcare professionals in Michigan, together with employees employed by the College of Michigan. The College of Michigan regents maintain the contract with the College of Michigan Skilled Nurse Council, the most important bargaining unit of the Michigan Nurses Affiliation.
Union members voted from Aug. 27 by means of Sept. 2 on whether or not to authorize nurse negotiation leaders to name a strike. Greater than 4,000 nurses voted, with 96 % voting in favor of strike authorization, based on a Sept. 2 union information launch. The vote doesn’t imply a strike is imminent. Nevertheless, it means the union may schedule one.
A complete of 6,200 College of Michigan Well being nurses have been working with no new contract since July 1; they’re working beneath the phrases of the expired settlement, based on hospital and union statements. The College of Michigan Well being, the medical division of Ann Arbor-based Michigan Medication, informed Becker’s in a press release that in negotiations, “We’re assured we have now put collectively a compelling and beneficiant proposal.” The College of Michigan Well being pointed to specifics of its proposal, together with a $245 million funding and 21 % base pay improve over 4 years; a $4,000 bonus for every bargaining unit member; and safely eliminating necessary time beyond regulation. In accordance with the well being system assertion, the proposal additionally contains “expanded staffing tips to take care of our wonderful, industry-leading staffing ranges.”
The union contends the College of Michigan has refused to cut price over secure workloads relating to the variety of sufferers assigned per nurse and engaged in unhealthy religion bargaining. Because of this, it filed a lawsuit Aug. 15 and introduced the deliberate strike authorization vote Aug. 19. In its Sept. 2 launch, the union famous the lawsuit in addition to different complaints it has filed in opposition to the College of Michigan. Among the many union’s allegations are that the college “engaged in unhealthy religion bargaining by unilaterally terminating an incentive cost for nurses in College of Michigan Medical Group-run areas.” The union additionally alleges the college “retaliated in opposition to a number of nurses for participating in protected union exercise.”
Either side are scheduled to return to negotiations on Sept. 6.