IRONWOOD, Mich. (WZMQ) – Nurses at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital have voted to ratify a new union contract.
“Our goal was always to get a contract that supports Ironwood nurses so we can recruit and retain the skilled nurses our community needs,” said Sarah Trudgeon, RN and president of the local Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) union at the hospital. “A strong nurses’ contract is a big part of protecting access to health care that we currently have in our area.”
“We have been so touched by our community’s support and we want to thank everyone for coming together to lift us up,” Trudgeon continued. “We will continue to advocate strongly for Aspirus to put patients first as we move forward.”
The Aspirus Ironwood nurses voted on January 14 to approve the contract, which takes effect immediately and runs through July 19, 2028.
Nurses say the agreement maintains the wage structure that rewards their experience and also guarantees annual raises across the board. It includes increased pay for on-call and night shifts, a cap on how much nurses pay for health insurance, as well as improved language around employer disclosure of workplace violence incidents.
Meanwhile, MNA nurses at other Aspirus U.P. hospitals continue negotiating new contracts. Aspirus Iron River nurses will bargain again on January 27, and Aspirus Keweenaw nurses in Laurium continue bargaining on January 15.
“We stand in solidarity with our Aspirus colleagues at the Iron River and Keweenaw hospitals as they bargain for fair contracts that support them so they can take care of their communities,” Trudgeon said.
