Techs at UP Health System-Marquette reach tentative contract agreement

MNA union makes strides in wages and improved health insurance; hospital reinforces commitment to workforce, patients and community

MARQUETTE – Michigan Nurses Association techs at UP Health System-Marquette reached a tentative contract agreement with the employer late Wednesday after months of bargaining. The agreement includes competitive wage increases, improvements in health insurance, and other gains.

"Our team fought hard to make significant progress on wages and health insurance to help not only attract new staff but, just as important, also keep the techs who currently work here,”  said Josh Bowman, a medical laboratory scientist at the hospital, president of the Marquette Ancillary Staff and Technologists (MAST), and an MNA board member. " We want our hospital to be the best environment possible for workers as well as patients. The support from our community and our MNA nurse colleagues was amazing and helped us stay strong throughout negotiations. We can all be proud of this milestone.”

The agreement includes: 
•    Guaranteed wage increases of 18.75% over four years and three months (the length of the contract) to recruit and retain staff, including increases to premiums and differentials;
•    A switch to the same health insurance that the hospital’s RNs receive; and
•    Improved language around incentive shifts; and

MAST’s tentative agreement is not approved until members vote on it. That will happen on Sept. 11 (instead of the previously announced strike authorization vote). 

“Reaching this tentative agreement with MAST demonstrates our commitment to the well-being of our workforce and long-term sustainability. Through constructive dialogue, we arrived at a solution that balances the needs of our staff, our patients and the communities we serve — all in alignment with our mission of making communities healthier," said Tonya Darner, CEO of UP Health System – Marquette. 

Both MAST and the RNs at the hospital had been bargaining with UPHS since March. The two unions are part of the Michigan Nurses Association (MNA).

The RNs reached a tentative agreement last week and are voting on ratification today and Friday (tomorrow). 

"These agreements prove that solidarity works," said Christina Hanson, RN, president of the RN Staff Council at the hospital. "As we move forward, we are united with MAST in enforcing these contracts and holding the employer to them. We want to thank our community for supporting us. We all advocated for the best working conditions for hospital workers and their families, which ultimately leads to the best care possible for our patients.”

About MNA
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.

About UP Health System–Marquette
UP Health System – Marquette (UPHS – Marquette), a Duke LifePoint hospital, is a federally designated regional referral center for Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. A 222-bed specialty care hospital, UPHS – Marquette is a Level II trauma center verified by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. 
 
The Joint Commission awarded the hospital the Gold Seal of Approval for its primary stroke center in 2010, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan designated UPHS – Marquette a Blue Distinction Center+ for spine surgery, maternity care, and knee and hip replacement in 2016. 
 
The cancer care program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and is the only accredited cancer program in the Upper Peninsula. The hospital also holds a designation from the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers and has received Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care. 
 
UPHS – Marquette opened its state-of-the-art hospital on June 2, 2019. As Upper Michigan’s regional medical center, it recruits for both employed and private practice positions in Marquette and in hospital-owned clinics across eight other communities in the Upper Peninsula. 
 
The medical staff includes more than 200 providers and more than 1,700 employees who care for approximately 12,000 inpatients and more than 350,000 outpatients each year. 
 
Major services include the Heart & Vascular Institute, Cancer Center, Brain & Spine Center, Rehabilitation Center, Behavioral Health, Digestive Health, Bariatric Medicine & Weight Management Center, and Women’s Health, Family Birthing, and Pediatrics Center. The hospital also offers the region’s leading services in imaging, surgery and robotic surgery, and laboratory care. It is home to the UP Telehealth Network, one of the nation’s top telehealth systems, and serves communities throughout the Upper Peninsula with 42 primary and specialty care clinics.