MNA nurses at UPHS-Marquette ratify new contract

RNs thank community for support in fight for safe staffing
 

MARQUETTE - In two days of voting that ended Friday night, Michigan Nurses Association RNs at UPHS-Marquette have voted overwhelmingly to ratify a new contract. 

The following statement is from Christina Hanson, RN, president of the RN Staff Nurse Council at the hospital: "We are excited about the stronger nurse staffing language we negotiated so we can improve the care and safety of our community. Nurses joining together to fight for each other and our community is how we got here, and that won't change just because our contract is done. We want to thank our community for all their support, from the bottom of our hearts. Every time people come through the hospital's doors, please know that nurses are your best advocates and we will always stand up for what's right."

The new contract includes:  

• Guaranteed wage increases of 18.75% over four years to bolster recruitment and retention at the U.P.'s largest hospital;
• A new joint committee of hospital representatives and union nurses that will review the hospital's staffing plans and address staffing issues;
• Inclusion of staffing in the union's grievance process; and
• Continuation of the nurses' current health insurance.

Members of the Marquette Ancillary Staff and Technologists (MAST), another MNA union at the hospital, will vote Thursday (Sept. 11) on ratification of their tentative agreement with UPHS-Marquette.

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.

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