Aspirus Iron River nurses approve new contract

IRON RIVER, MI – Nurses at Aspirus Iron River Hospital have voted to approve a new union contract.

“This contract moves us forward in terms of being able to recruit nurses and keep them at our hospital, which is important for being able to give our community the best care possible,” said Nicole Fedie-Zaupa, an Aspirus Iron River nurse who is co-president of the local Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) union at the hospital. “We want to thank our community for all their support; that has meant the world to us and caring for our community has been our reason for advocating so hard for changes. Passing this contract does not by any means end our work to hold Aspirus accountable for providing the health care that our community deserves.”

The nurses voted Wednesday (April 1) to approve the contract, which takes effect immediately and runs through Dec. 31, 2028.

The new contract maintains the wage structure that rewards nurses’ experience and it also guarantees annual raises across-the-board. The agreement includes increased pay for on-call, weekend and night shifts, and reinstatement of extra pay for nurses when they are forced to work beyond a scheduled shift.  

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