KEWEENAW COUNTY, Mich. (WZMQ) – Over the next seven days, nurses across the state will be holding demonstrations to advocate for better working conditions.
Nurses at many Michigan hospitals are nearing the end of their current contracts. On April 9, the Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) will begin a Week of Action, during which healthcare workers will call on their employers to provide new, fair contracts. The effort includes demonstrations in Traverse City, Lapeer, Alma, Mt. Pleasant, and the Houghton-Hancock area, where Aspirus Keweenaw nurses will rally at the Portage Lake Lift Bridge on April 10.
“It’s sickening because as nurses, all we want to do it be able to take care of our patients adequately, and as a patient, we want to be taken care of,” said MNA President Aaron McCormick. “Our nurses do not have the things that they need to take care of patients. I know in the U.P., the hospitals are all so spaced out, so there’s not access to care like there should be also. Not having the tools, not having the staff, that’s going across the whole state.”
The week will end with the MNA Capitol Action Day in Lansing on Wednesday, April 15. Nurses will advocate for the passing of Senate bills 296 and 297, which the Michigan Nurses Association says would eliminate the “misuse” of mandatory overtime for nurses.
“We’re going to show up in force,” said McCormick. “We’re going to have healthcare providers from across the state come together. We’re going to go meet with our local senators and legislators and tell our needs… We stand with nurses because, you know, the nurses take care of us.”
According to McCormick, the Week of Action demonstrations are classified as practice strikes. That means nurses will be picketing on their own time, and no patients will go without care.
The public can see the full list of MNA Week of Action events at minurses.org.
