Dear MNA-UMPNC member, Your bargaining team is hard at work at the table striving to get the strong contract we all deserve. However, it appears that management is acting in bad faith. More than one month after contract expiration, management has demanded that MNA-UMPNC withdraw proposals that they claim are “permissive” subjects of bargaining. Management’s lack of interest at this time in certain provisions of our proposals does NOT grant Michigan Medicine the power to force the union to withdraw our proposals. We will stand strong on the issues that matter to our members, including:
Workload Ratios: The union considers employee workload to be a mandatory subject of bargaining and disagree with the employer’s demand that we withdraw this proposal. In addition, management has made responses to these proposals across the table. For management to now demand withdrawal seems to be a regressive position.
Ending Mandatory Overtime: We have proposed “continuation of care” be limited to one hour. Management has expressed their refusal to engage with this proposal. We do not agree that continuation of care can be for an indefinite duration, which is essentially mandatory overtime! Your bargaining team asked management at the table whether they would consider any time limitation on continuation of care to be reasonable: hours, days, etc. They said they would have to get back with us.
Per Diem: Management has already responded to our proposal, but now demands that it be withdrawn! While they have agreed to remove per diem restrictions for APRNs, they refuse to remove the same restrictions for temporary CSR nurses that would make them eligible to become per diem nurses and therefore, covered under our contract.
Negotiations resume on Wednesday, August 10 and Thursday, August 11. Wear red on Wednesdays to support our bargaining team and show our union pride. Next Wednesday (08/10/22) we will rally at 6:15 am at the Adult Emergency Services entrance. Our actions remind management that we are strong and united for a fair contract — one that provides safety for patients and nurses, fair compensation, and work/life balance to frontline workers.