The National Labor Relations Board has filed a complaint against Munson Manistee (Mich.) Hospital for allegedly changing the pay cycle and care benefits of its nurses, in violation of federal labor law.
The complaint was filed after an investigation into charges filed in April that the hospital made changes to pay cycles for nurses, eliminated cash payments for those who opt out of employer-paid health insurance and refused to provide information about healthcare utilization and relief staff utilization.
Registered nurses at Munson Manistee, part of the Michigan Nurses Association, filed an additional unfair labor practice charge alleging that hospital executives made unilateral changes to nurses' healthcare premiums and failed to provide information needed for collective bargaining.
"It’s pretty simple," said Kristina Protasiewicz, an operating room nurse who is president of the nurses union at Manistee Hospital. "When you have a union, your employer can’t change terms and conditions of your employment without talking to you first. Hospital executives didn’t talk to us."
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