IRONWOOD, Mich. (WZMQ) – Nurses at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital voted unanimously on Wednesday to authorize a strike in pursuit of a fair contract and in protest of their employer’s labor practices.
“We remain ready and willing to bargain in good faith to reach a new contract with Aspirus,” said Sarah Trudgeon, RN and president of the local Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) union at the hospital. “Our goal has always been simply to reach an agreement that supports Ironwood nurses so we can recruit and retain the skilled nurses our community needs. Our concern is not only about this contract, but really also about the future of healthcare in our region.”
The vote means that the elected RN bargaining team at the hospital can call for a strike if deemed necessary. It does not mean that the nurses will strike, and they would give the hospital 10 days’ notice if they decide to.
The most recent bargaining session failed to produce an agreement. No further bargaining dates are set at this time, but the nurses remain ready and willing to continue contract discussions.
The nurses voted unanimously on October 15 to reject Aspirus’s contract proposal because they say it eliminates the wage structure that rewards nurses’ experience, provides lower wages than the MNA proposal for nearly half the nurses, and fails to meaningfully address the impending closure of the OB unit and the nurses’ proposal regarding it.
The MNA nurses at Ironwood filed a federal unfair labor practice charge in September against Aspirus, after they say executives refused to return to the bargaining table and violated their legal obligation to bargain in good faith with the nurses for a new contract. The charge rests with the National Labor Relations Board, an independent federal agency, which will decide the next steps. Although Aspirus did return to the bargaining table, the MNA nurses say the charge remains valid and pending because the delay did occur.
The Aspirus Ironwood Hospital nurses have been negotiating with Aspirus for a new contract since May 6. Their current contract expired on August 2.
Meanwhile, MNA nurses at Aspirus Iron River began bargaining their next contract on Wednesday. The next Iron River bargaining date is Nov. 14.
