Strike averted at U-M Health as 'memorandum of understanding' is reached with UMMAP
A one-day strike of 4,500 workers at University of Michigan Health was averted Monday afternoon when a "memorandum of understanding" was reached with the United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals AFT Local 6730 , also known as UMMAP.
Workers had been set to strike at 7 a.m. Tuesday. The union represents radiological professionals, physical therapists, medical assistants, social workers and other classifications who work for the clinical operation of Michigan Medicine.
UMMAP said it is seeking better staffing levels, pay equity and wage increases to keep pace with the cost of living that are competitive with other health systems in the region, along with fair scheduling and improved benefits.
The memorandum of understanding not only cancels the one-day strike, but also creates a framework for UMMAP 6730 and U-M Health's negotiating teams to reach a tentative agreement within the next two weeks.
"The UMMAP bargaining team is committed to working collaboratively with the U-M Health team to ensure that a fair and equitable collective bargaining agreement is reached," said UMMAP President Penni Toney in a statement issued Monday. "Our members are the embodiment of the Michigan Difference and we remain committed to our patients and community by continuing to provide outstanding patient care that our patients deserve."
Jovita Thomas-Williams, chief human resources officer for Michigan Medicine, said: "This critical step reflects both UMMAP and U-M Health's dedication to caring for our patients and serving our community. We will continue our collaborative efforts to reach a tentative agreement that reflects how highly we value the incredible care provided by our team members represented by UMMAP."
It's the second time U-M Health has averted a one-day strike of unionized workers in the last month and it's one of several actions by organized labor planned at health care organizations across Michigan this week.
The other potential one-day strike at U-M Health was canceled in October, when the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Michigan reached a tentative, three-year contract agreement just hours before its workers were to take to the picket lines on Oct. 15. SEIU represents about 2,700 workers at U-M Health, including respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, patient care technicians, clerks and others.
Another group of unionized workers at U-M Health Sparrow is planning an informational picket from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday outside the hospital on E. Michigan Avenue in Lansing.
The Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital-Michigan Nurses Association (PECSH-MNA) is working to negotiate its first contract since U-M Health acquired Sparrow Health in 2023.
The union represents about 2,000 registered nurses and workers in more than 50 categories at the former Sparrow Hospital. Its contract expired Oct. 30 and leaders say it is continuing to bargain with U-M Health, though the two sides are far apart on such issues as wages, health care costs and workplace safety.
The picket is not a work stoppage, but nurses and other health care workers plan to participate on their own time, the union said in a statement emailed to the Free Press.
Additionally, about 9,600 registered nurses at Corewell Health are to begin voting Tuesday at all eight of the health system's metro Detroit hospitals on whether to unionize with the Teamsters, according to Kayla Blado, a spokesperson for the National Labor Relations Board.
Eligible to vote are full-time and regular part-time registered nurses, casual nurses, contingent nurses, flex nurses and charge nurses at the hospitals in Dearborn, Farmington HIlls, Grosse Pointe, Royal Oak, Taylor, Trenton, Troy and Wayne as well as at Corewell's Southfield Service Center.
They aim to unionize as Nurses for Nurses, a committee of the Michigan Teamsters Joint Council No. 43, and are seeking a contract that will give them more of a say when it comes to nurse-to-patient staffing ratios, job cuts, wages and benefits.
Voting will continue through Thursday. The NLRB regional office in Detroit will begin counting the votes at 9 a.m. Friday, Blado said.
"The count is expected to take several hours. Election results will be made public when the count is complete," she said.
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