LANSING – Nearly 1,000 University of Michigan Health-Sparrow nurses and healthcare professionals picketed outside the hospital Tuesday along with community members and fellow union members from around the state.
The informational picket was held to advocate for a fair contract for the Sparrow caregivers, who are working without one. As U of M Health spends nearly $130 million on new buildings in Greater Lansing, caregivers say a strong contract is needed to retain and recruit enough skilled staff to provide safe, quality care in all settings.
State Sen. Sam Singh (D-East Lansing) shared words of support for the caregivers at the picket, as did Michigan AFL-CIO President Ron Bieber and Rep. Regina Weiss (D-Oak Park), who is Chair of the Michigan Legislative Labor Caucus.
Jeff Breslin, RN, president of the Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital-Michigan Nurses Association (PECSH-MNA), said it’s urgent that executives offer a contract that will help ease the staffing crisis at U of M Health-Sparrow, Greater Lansing’s largest hospital and only Level 1 Trauma Center.
“U of M Health has the resources and responsibility to invest in the skilled professionals who provide the care for our community,” Breslin said. “What we’re asking for is only fair – competitive wages that beat inflation, healthcare for ourselves and our families that we can afford, and safety for us, for our patients and for our visitors. We are grateful for the tremendous support from the community and we won’t stop fighting for what’s right.”
PECSH-MNA represents about 2,000 registered nurses and healthcare professionals in more than 50 categories at Sparrow Hospital. Their union contract expired Oct. 30. The next bargaining session is today (Nov. 13).
Many caregivers will pay hundreds of dollars more for health insurance each month under the employer’s proposal.
“I’m worried about being able to afford health care for myself and my family, given raises that don’t even make up for inflation combined with drastically higher costs for health insurance,” said Lindsey Davis, LMSW, a social worker in behavioral health and a member of the PECSH-MNA bargaining team. “I’m proud to work at a job that allows me to give back to the community – I’m proud of the care that my colleagues and I provide. We also need to be able to take care of ourselves and our families as we serve others.”
NOTE: The picket was not a work stoppage. University of Michigan Health-Sparrow nurses and healthcare professionals participated on their own time.
The Michigan Nurses Association, which includes the Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital (PECSH-MNA), is the largest union and professional association of registered nurses and healthcare professionals in Michigan. MNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United and AFL-CIO.
CONTACT: Dawn Kettinger or (517) 721-9688