As labor tensions rise at University of Michigan Health-Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, approximately 2,000 nurses and caregivers are preparing for a significant strike. With plans for a five-day strike commencing on January 20, the healthcare workers are voicing their concerns over ongoing employment terms.
The Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital-Michigan Nurses Association (PECSH-MNA), representing the nurses, announced the strike following a recent bargaining session. With no contract since October’s end, the union members are pushing for improved health benefits, increased wages, and better working conditions.
Union members had previously authorized the strike in December, empowering their representatives to initiate such action if negotiations did not meet their demands. Picket lines are expected outside several locations, including the Lansing Hospital and the Sparrow Health Center Lansing on Grand River Avenue.
Leah Rasch, a registered nurse and co-chair of the PECSH-MNA bargaining team, expressed the union’s resolve: “Due to the employer’s refusal to bargain a fair contract and their anti-union behavior, we have to draw a line in the sand – and we are united and energized to do that by hitting the pavement on January 20.”
In response, University of Michigan Health-Sparrow has outlined a contingency plan, aiming to maintain patient care standards during the potential strike. “It is important to note that while a work stoppage is now a possibility, we remain confident that we can reach an agreement without one,” a statement from the hospital reads. They assure that patient care will continue to be “safe, leading-edge and compassionate.”
The union has lodged complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, accusing the hospital of unfair labor practices, including interrogating staff about their strike intentions and altering job roles without proper notice or negotiation.
This labor dispute marks the first contract negotiation since University of Michigan Health merged with Sparrow in 2023, adding a layer of complexity to the ongoing discussions.
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