Alma nurses' strike starts Friday

Union has filed additional unfair labor practice charges against MyMichigan 
 
ALMA, MI - Registered nurses at MyMichigan Medical Center Alma will go on strike for three days beginning at 7 a.m. this Friday, July 3, to protest the employer’s alleged unfair labor practices and advocate for a fair contract. (See below for an update on labor charges the union has filed against MyMichigan.)

Nurses at the hospital, who make up a local of the Michigan Nurses Association, voted in May to give their elected RN bargaining team the ability to call for a strike should it become necessary, with a 98 percent yes vote. Nurses gave MyMichigan two weeks’ notice of the strike on June 18th, after the 16th bargaining session failed to produce agreement.

“MyMichigan’s actions show nothing but disrespect and disregard for our nurses, our union, and our community,” said Shenan Shinabarger, RN, president of the MNA union at the hospital and a member of the statewide MNA board. “Alma nurses work hard every single day to take care of our neighbors, but our caring nature doesn’t mean we are pushovers who will accept less than we deserve."

The nurses’ contract expired Feb. 16.

During the strike, which is scheduled to end at 7 a.m. July 6, nurses will picket on the hospital sidewalk. Patient access to the hospital will not be affected. Supportive community members are invited to join the nurses on the picket line at any time during the strike. 

Background
MyMichigan Alma has said that its final offer is no raise for nurses in the first year of the pending contract and 1 percent for each of the following two years.

“While we remain committed to bargaining in good faith, we won’t let ourselves be bullied into an unfair contract,” said MyMichigan Alma RN Sarah Weber, a member of the elected RN bargaining team. “MyMichigan wants us to accept what’s essentially a pay cut – we’d be doing the same work for less, with the rising costs of groceries, gas and everything else. Who would say yes to that?”

While MyMichigan is offering step increases in the first year of the contract and correction of nurses misplaced on the pay scale, nearly one in four Alma nurses would see no change in their wages during that time. Nurses have offered to continue negotiating with MyMichigan, but no further bargaining dates are scheduled.

Union files additional unfair labor practice charges ahead of 3-day strike
MNA has now filed six unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board that are under investigation. The charges state that MyMichigan: 

• Withdrew their proposals because the nurses' union gave legally protected strike notice.
• Without bargaining as required, stopped allowing nurses to trade shifts in advance of the strike.
• Without bargaining as required, changed policies regarding the pulling and assignment of Psychiatric Care nurses to other departments.
• Without bargaining as required, refused to allow PTO accrual on weekend overtime despite clear contract language.
• Talked directly to the wider hospital staff about proposals they didn’t make at the bargaining table.

A hospital representative also made an unlawful threat against a union representative, saying the Alma nurses would never get a contract after a legally required notice of picketing was given to the hospital.

The Michigan Nurses Association is the largest union and professional association of registered nurses and healthcare professionals in Michigan. MNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United and the AFL-CIO.