Following a marathon 20-hour negotiation session, Michigan Medicine nurses reached a tentative contract agreement with the hospital system early Thursday morning.
This comes after months of stalled negotiations prompted the University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council to announce a membership-wide vote to authorize a strike. Unionized nurses had been working without a contract since late March, and union leaders said hospital management had proposed annual raises that would keep up with inflation and wanted to increase the number of patients per nurse. The tentative agreement cancels that strike vote, which was set to begin on Monday.
Kara Ayotte, the union’s president, said she felt that strong turnout at recent protests helped push talks forward.
“The employer kind of came back to the table and said, ‘Enough is enough, we want to bargain in good faith and get this done,” Ayotte said. “I would say it has been a really, really long journey to get to what I feel is a really, really great end.”
The deal covers more than 7,000 nurses and advanced practice providers represented by UMPNC, including registered nurses, nurse practitioners, certified nurse midwives, certified registered nurse anesthetists, flight nurses, and clinical care coordinators.
The exact details of the three-year agreement have not been released, but UMPNC said it includes:
- Wage increase of 4% the first year, 4.5% the second year and 4.75% the third, for a total of 13.25% over three years
- Stronger workplace violence protections
- Improved staffing ratios
- No pre-scheduled patient assignments for charge registered nurses
- Historic gains for advanced practice registered nurses
- A ratification bonus
Julie Ishak, chief nurse and operations executive for Michigan Medicine’s academic medical center, said in a press release that the health system is satisfied with the agreement.
“We appreciate the dedication and professionalism of both bargaining teams in reaching this tentative agreement," Ishak said. "This agreement aims to support our nurses, strengthen our workforce, and ensure the highest quality care for the patients and families we serve.”
The union still has three pending unfair labor practice complaints filed with the state against Michigan Medicine, one of which Ayotte said may be settled outside of the formal arbitration process.
Ayotte said she attributed the strength of the contract’s protections to the engagement of the membership.
“It's not the power of the people at the table, it's the power of all 7,000 of the membership, and I think this contract reflects that power and that unity,” Ayotte said. “We feel unanimously that this is the strongest contract in the state, and that's something that we're really proud of.”
UMPNC will schedule a ratification vote among its members in the coming weeks.
Editor's note: U of M holds Michigan Public's broadcast license.
