Aspirus Ironwood Nurses Approve New Contract

IRONWOOD, MI – Nurses at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital have voted to ratify a new union contract.

“Our goal was always to get a contract that supports Ironwood nurses so we can recruit and retain the skilled nurses our community needs,” said Sarah Trudgeon, RN and president of the local Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) union at the hospital. “A strong nurses’ contract is a big part of protecting access to health care that we currently have in our area."

"We have been so touched by our community’s support and we want to thank everyone for coming together to lift us up. We will continue to advocate strongly for Aspirus to put patients first as we move forward.” 

The Aspirus Ironwood nurses voted Wednesday (Jan. 14) to approve the contract, which takes effect immediately and runs through July 19, 2028.

The agreement maintains the wage structure that rewards nurses’ experience and also guarantees annual raises across-the-board. It includes increased pay for on-call and night shifts and a cap on how much nurses pay for health insurance, as well as improved language around employer disclosure of workplace violence incidents.

Meanwhile, MNA nurses at other Aspirus U.P. hospitals continue negotiating new contracts. Aspirus Iron River nurses bargain again on Jan. 27 and Aspirus Keweenaw nurses in Laurium continue bargaining today (Jan. 15).

“We stand in solidarity with our Aspirus colleagues at the Iron River and Keweenaw hospitals as they bargain for fair contracts that support them so they can take care of their communities,” Trudgeon said. 

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.

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