Nurses at Mount Clemens, Mich.- based McLaren Macomb have authorized their union bargaining team to issue a 10-day strike notice if they deem it necessary amid contract negotiations, according to June 29 hospital and union statements.
OPEIU Local 40, the union representing nurses at McLaren Macomb, said members voted to authorize the strike over patient care issues.
In releasing the strike authorization vote results, Jeffrey Morawski, president of OPEIU Local 40, said nurses "have worked diligently and endlessly over the last year dealing with an unprecedented pandemic, with a remarkable lack of support from McLaren. A central issue in the negotiations is to provide safe and appropriate nurse-patient ratios, which is the best way to protect our community. With these vote totals, obviously the nurses do not favor McLaren's wholly inadequate proposals that seemingly are designed only to protect McLaren's bottom line."
Additionally, OPEIU Local 40 Vice President Dina Carlisle, RN, cited outstanding unresolved grievances over staffing issues and said the hospital has not provided the non-RN assistants that the contract requires.
McLaren Macomb expressed disappointment in the strike authorization vote.
The hospital said it respects front-line workers, has been bargaining in good faith with the union, and has made progress during negotiations on the terms for a new contract, including reaching 20 tentative agreements.
"While the median individual income in Macomb County is approximately $32,000 (according to the most recent U.S. census data), the average full-time salary for our registered nurses is more than $75,000 annually. We believe these committed healthcare professionals deserve to be fairly compensated, as demonstrated by our most recent proposal," said McLaren Macomb.
According to the hospital, the most recent proposal includes a 15.5 percent wage increase, as well as an actionable plan to increase staffing levels, a defined process to expedite adding more nursing support as necessary, and a $2,000 nurse appreciation and ratification bonus.
Nurses have been negotiating with the hospital since February, and the current contract expires July 27.
A strike authorization vote does not mean a strike will occur. However, it gives the union the option of calling a strike if an agreement isn't reached.
The hospital said it will remain open and fully operational during a strike, if one should occur, and has contracted with a national firm to provide licensed, experienced temporary replacement nurses to prepare for a strike.