- At the end of October, Professional Employees Council of Sparrow Hospital -Michigan Nurses Association members contract expired and negotiations began
- Since then, UM Health Sparrow and PECSH-MNA officials have been at the bargaining table and they have still not came to an agreement
- This week, PECSH-MNA members voted on a strike authorization that would authorize a strike if the negotiating team felt it was necessary
- PECSH-MNA members are asking for better wages, health care, security and proper staffing measures
- In the attached story, I spoke with PECSH-MNA President Jeff Breslin about where things stand at the negotiating table
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
"We've spent over 300 hours at the negotiating table" said Jeff Breslin, Professional Employees Council of Sparrow Hospital -Michigan Nurses Association president.
Back in November, Michigan Nurses Association union leaders first sat down with UM Health Sparrow officials to begin contract negotiations.
Nurses say they think what they're asking for in a new 3-year contract is simple.
I talked with the Professional Employees Council of Sparrow Hospital -Michigan Nurses Association president, Jeff Breslin.
"We are of course looking for wages and health care so that we can attract people to the Lansing area, to Sparrow, so people do not have to travel to Ann Arbor for their health care," Breslin said.
But the union says that after more than 35 days of going back and forth to the bargaining table, things aren't so simple anymore for Sparrow nurses.
"They're pretty upset, if management isn't willing to give us a good contract, it's not going to retain the talented people we currently have and it's not going to attract enough workers to fill the holes we have" Breslin said.
In a statement sent to us by UM Health sparrow, officials say
"UM Health-Sparrow and PECSH-MNA have engaged in meaningful, good faith discussions on ALL topics raised by the union including, but not limited to, safety, security and staffing. UM Health-Sparrow does not believe there is ANY proposal on the table that would warrant a strike."
But in the mean time, Michigan Nurses Association union members are using this week to conduct a strike authorization vote.
"What it does is give our negotiating team the ability to call a strike, should they feel management is not listening to what we have to say" Breslin explained.
Both parties say their goal is to avoid a strike and come to a fair agreement by the end of the year.'
The union says any potential strike would come with 10 day notice to the hospital, so officials would have the chance to move patients or line up additional staffing.
Both parties will be back at the negotiating table on Wednesday
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