Save Our Union!

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Our union is under attack.

The attempt by another county union (MAPE, which is not a nurses’ union) to raid ours could, if successful, cost us everything we’ve gained over the years. 

If you are asked to sign a decertification card with MAPE, DECLINE TO SIGN and instead recommit to sticking together and protecting and building on our union contract. 

If even a small percentage of us sign a decertification card, this could trigger an election between our current union (MNA), the raiding union (MAPE), and NO UNION.

Q: What happens if I sign a card from MAPE?

A: If MAPE is able to get 30% of us to sign a decertification card, we would have to engage in a lengthy union decertification process that could and often does result in 'no union' winning. We would vote on 3 options:

  • Keep our current union and our MNA contract;
  • Decertify our union, putting all our gains at risk; 
  • Have NO UNION and no contract at all

This is too dangerous to risk. Instead, we should all decline to sign and focus on uniting to fight for a fair contract that we all deserve.

If MAPE is able to gather 30% on their decertification cards:

  • We would likely have to halt our bargaining process. Why would the employer bargain with us when they know our union and our contract could go away after the election?
  • We would likely have to wait months for an election. There would be an intense campaign during these months and likely a lot of division among nurses. It is not uncommon for these elections to result in having no union at all. Has MAPE considered this risk in launching this attack on our union and our contract? The truth is they don’t care because MAPE is not a nurses’ union.

Q: If nurses vote to join MAPE, would we keep our contract?

A: Our contract is between the County of Oakland and The Michigan Nurses Association. MAPE is not a party to the contract and if they become the union there is no guarantee that the employer would agree to keep the same contract with them that we have now. We could have to renegotiate all the gains we’ve already made. 

MAPE may promise you that they would keep your current contract as a starting point. Why would the employer give a divided group – with no bargaining history – a better deal than what we currently have? In fact, why would they give us anything at all? The point of the contract is to build on gains over time. 

We are scheduled to begin contract negotiations next week. Now is the time to UNITE and FIGHT to improve our contract, not to fight among ourselves and risk losing our union and our contract. Decline to sign a decertification card with the other union and instead commit to fight for yourselves and your fellow nurses.