SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – Talks broke off today without any progress in the ongoing strike between the Michigan Nurses Association and MyMichigan Medical Center. The parties met with a state and federal mediator present, but adjourned at the recommendation of the mediator.
Nurses presented a proposal during bargaining Thursday and the federal mediator asked for information from both parties, breaking off until May 10, said a release from the nurses.
As they continue their five-day unfair labor practice strike, the MNA Soo nurses said they want MyMichigan Midland executives to know that they aren’t fooled by contract offers that contain so many concessions that many nurses will actually take what amounts to a pay cut.
“Yes, MyMichigan, nurses can do math – and your contract offer doesn’t add up,” said Twyla Niznik, RN. “Our fellow nurses who make up our elected bargaining team have been transparent and kept us updated this whole time. We are behind them 100 per cent in rejecting MyMichigan’s weak proposal. MyMichigan executives are misleading the public with numbers that sound good but don’t account for concessions; in my family, for example, we’d have to pay $4,200 more a year just to get health insurance. Their wage offer won’t make up for that at all.”
The nurses’ strike started Monday and concludes Saturday at 6:45 a.m. They voted unanimously last month to give their fellow nurses on the bargaining team the ability to call a strike if necessary. Nurses gave MyMichigan notice of the strike on April 3, after a 14th bargaining session failed to produce an agreement. The nurses have been working under a contract that expired Dec. 31. About 120 nurses work at the hospital.
MyMichigan said in a release it would have preferred that no strike would have occurred, "we are proud and thankful for all team members who provided excellent care to the community during the strike. Often out of adversity, something positive can be gained, and that happened here."
The striking nurses say they have been in good spirits throughout the week, maintaining a picket line outside the hospital around the clock.
“There is something very special about working in health care. For one, we have the privilege to take care of our communities. But, in the case of our nurses’ strike, we have been given the unique opportunity to work alongside nurses and staff from across our health system and learn from one another,” said Marissa Palmer, D.N.P., R.N., strike staffing plan manager and system director trauma and critical/progressive care. “We continue to hear from support staff how they feel very comfortable and welcomed. Even greater, they’ve shared that while working arm and arm, together they are generating ideas, workflows and efficiencies to bring back to their units and have grown as teammates and nurses as a result of this process.”
Nurses say the hospital is frequently short-staffed because the Midland-based corporation pays so little in the Soo compared to other hospitals that it can’t recruit and retain nurses.
“MyMichigan executives talk about nurses voting on this contract offer feels like it’s just a way to delay bargaining,” said Jaclyn Neff, RN. “Our union consists of all of us nurses. We, as a union, don’t want to waste time voting on a contract offer that has so many new costs that they cancel out wage increases. MyMichigan’s proposal won’t actually recruit and retain local nurses in our community so we can provide safe care for all patients at all times. That’s what this is all about.”
The nurses argue they are underpaid compared with other MyMichigan and U.P. hospitals. Nurses provided a comparison chart here.
Nurses point out that MyMichigan recently spent $10 million on a new computer system at the hospital and millions more to buy three other hospitals, yet refuses to make investing in local nurses a priority.
MNA has alleged that MyMichigan has broken federal labor laws multiple times, including by failing to bargain in good faith. MNA has filed multiple unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board. MyMichigan executives were notified of these charges, say nurses, even though MyMichigan has publicly denied knowledge of this.
