Munson Union Nurses Vote to OK New Contract

Traverse City RNs thank community for support
 

TRAVERSE CITY – Union nurses at Munson Medical Center voted overwhelmingly this week to ratify a new 3-year contract. The vote took place Tuesday (June 9) and today (June 10). 

“This new contract moves us forward in terms of recruiting and retaining the nurses our hospital needs to take great care of Northern Michigan,”  said RN James Walker, co-chair of the bargaining team for the Traverse City Munson Nurses Association (TCMNA), a local Michigan Nurses Association union. “We’ve come through this journey with an even stronger commitment to provide excellent care to our community. Nurses are patient advocates first and foremost, and we will continue to put patients’ needs at the forefront of everything we do.”

The nurses had been working without a contract since it expired March 10. 

The new contract:
•    Provides across-the-board raises of 5 percent per year for the life of the 3-year contract
•    Includes guardrails on AI and technology
•    Protects the nurses’ health insurance and employer contributions to retirement

The agreement comes after months of advocacy including a packed town hall, a petition signed by thousands of community members, and a practice strike by nurses. 

“We could not have gotten to this point without our community supporting us and lifting us up,” said TCMNA President Laura Nilsson, RN, who is co-chair of the bargaining committee. “We want to thank everyone for all the support. Please know that it has meant the world to us.”

The Traverse City Munson Nurses Association (TCMNA) is a local bargaining unit of the Michigan Nurses Association, the largest union and professional association representing registered nurses and healthcare professionals in Michigan. MNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United and the AFL-CIO.
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