IRONWOOD, Mich. (WZMQ) – UPDATE: The following quote is from Ashley Thompson, an RN at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital and a member of the elected nurse bargaining team.
“About two hours after we issued a press release this morning about their refusal to bargain, Aspirus executives agreed to meet with our team. We’re glad that they changed their minds. We look forward to meeting and hope that Aspirus is indeed serious about bargaining in good faith.”
Nurses at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital—through their union, the Michigan Nurses Association—have filed a federal unfair labor practice charge against the hospital, citing executives’ refusal to return to the bargaining table.
The Aspirus Ironwood Hospital nurses have been negotiating with Aspirus for a new contract since May 6. Their current contract expired on August 2, with the most recent bargaining session happening on Aug. 21. No further dates are scheduled, with nurses saying Aspirus refuses to continue negotiations.
On September 17, the nurses held a rally to protest the corporation’s planned closure of the hospital’s OB unit and advocate for a fair contract.
“Aspirus has hit a new low in refusing to negotiate with nurses unless we make concessions to our current proposal,” said Angie Butzke, an RN at the hospital and member of the elected nurse bargaining team. “Between the cuts they keep making to U.P. health care and this blatant disrespect to nurses who work hard to take care of our community every day, I can’t believe Aspirus executives even have the nerve to show their faces around here. I guess the bottom line is that they don’t.”
Aspirus has a legal obligation, under federal law, to bargain in good faith with the nurses for a new contract. The charge goes to the National Labor Relations Board, an independent federal agency, which will decide the next steps. The charge document can be viewed here.
The nurses say they remain ready and willing to continue bargaining.
In addition to advocating for competitive wages to attract and keep nurses working at the hospital, the elected RN bargaining team at Ironwood is preparing to make a proposal at the table regarding the planned OB unit closure when negotiations resume.
Nurses at all three U.P. Aspirus hospitals have launched a community petition at minurses.org/fed-up so residents can express opposition to Ironwood’s OB unit closure and other cuts, as well as support for fair contracts for the nurses. Petition signers can also share personal stories about the impact of Aspirus’s cuts at all three of its currently open U.P. hospitals, plus the closure of the Ontonagon hospital. MNA nurses at Aspirus Iron River and Aspirus Keweenaw will start contract bargaining soon.
WZMQ 19 will continue to follow this story as it develops.
