10,000 Corewell nurses to vote on strike authorization amid first contract negotiations
Corewell nurses to vote on strike authorization
Around 10,000 Corewell Health nurses will begin voting Monday on a strike authorization. This comes amid negotiations that have been ongoing since last June.
(FOX 2) - Thousands of Corewell Health nurses will begin voting on a strike authorization Monday morning.
This is the first contract for these roughly 10,000 nurses. Teamsters Local 2024 has been negotiating since June, with everything from wages, just cause for discipline, and a grievance procedure on the table during negotiations for the nurses' first contract.
According to the union, employees are concerned about wages, staffing levels, and health care.
Teamsters bargaining team members who work at Corewell say the company isn't seriously bargaining with them, while the health system claims the union has added on $62 million in proposals. Corewell calls this move "not good faith bargaining."
The other side:
"I feel like they aren't seriously bargaining with us because they think that they can intimidate us into taking what they give us," said Debbie Miracle, a member of the bargaining team from Corewell’s Farmington Hills location. "Once again, they are underestimating how willing nurses are to fight for what we deserve and what our patients deserve."
Corewell released a statement, saying that negotiations are ongoing:
"Last week, the Teamsters added an additional $62 million in proposals on top of their previous $2 billion earlier proposals. This is not good faith bargaining. We cannot reach an agreement if the Teamsters’ proposals keep going up without discussion about actual priorities. Any talk of a strike authorization is premature as negotiations are still ongoing."
What's next:
Voting begins at 9 a.m. Monday and will remain open until results are announced on March 17.
According to Teamsters, a "yes" vote does not mean a strike is imminent, and nurses will have the opportunity to vote on a contract offer before a strike is called.
The Source: Statements from Corewell and Teamsters Local 2024 were used.