Nurses, Healthcare Professionals Reach Contract Agreement in Principle with UMH-Sparrow

Planned strike is cancelled; next, members of the union of 2,000 caregivers will vote on whether to accept the agreement

LANSING – The union of nurses and healthcare professionals at the University of Michigan Health-Sparrow reached a contract agreement in principle with the employer today, averting a strike planned to begin Jan. 20th.

The elected bargaining team of the Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital-Michigan Nurses Association (PECSH-MNA) and UMH-Sparrow had been negotiating since August. The parties had added bargaining dates this past Friday, Sunday and Monday in an attempt to reach an agreement.

PECSH-MNA represents registered nurses and healthcare professionals in nearly 60 categories at UMH-Sparrow, for a total of about 2,000 members.

“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that was built on the strength and solidarity of our union, as well as overwhelming community support,” said Dexter Baker, RN, co-chair of the elected PECSH-MNA bargaining team. “Our fellow members have been very passionate about their priorities throughout these months of bargaining. Our union is a democracy, and we look forward to having our fellow members vote on whether to accept this contract agreement, which we wholeheartedly recommend.”

PECSH-MNA’s priority now is sharing details of the agreement with all members and facilitating the ratification vote. Highlights of the agreement include:

  • Competitive wage increases, with most members receiving between a 20% and 32% raise during the term of the agreement.
  • Large increases in differentials including the night shift, evening shift, and weekend differentials.
  • Significant ratification bonus.
  • Guaranteed healthcare plan that is equal or better to the union plan the employer is ending.
  • Permanent decrease in the cost of members’ premium contribution to BCBS starting in 2026.
  • New language guaranteeing no permanent replacement of positions with subcontractors (agency) and maintenance of open postings for these positions.
  • Extending COVID protections for members for duration of the new agreement.
  • Increased benefits for employees injured by workplace violence.

The contract expired on Oct. 30. On the heels of an energetic informational picket with nearly 1,000 participants in the fall, PECSH-MNA members voted almost unanimously (98.7 percent “yes”) to authorize their elected bargaining team to call a strike if they deemed it necessary. On Jan. 7, the team announced a 5-day strike to begin Jan. 20.

This is the first contract that PECSH-MNA has negotiated since University of Michigan Health bought Sparrow for $800 million in investments in 2023.

The Michigan Nurses Association, which includes the Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital (PECSH-MNA), is the largest union and professional association for registered nurses and healthcare professionals in Michigan. PECSH-MNA represents nurses and professionals in nearly 60 other job categories. MNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United and AFL-CIO.

Contact: Dawn Kettinger, 517-721-9688

 

This entry was posted in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.