Nurses plan a rally to protest the planned end of labor and delivery services at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital.
Aspirus has announced those services will stop at the end of 2025, although they will keep offering pre-natal and post-natal care.
Aspirus Ironwood Hospital nurses will hold a rally Wednesday, September 17th.
They say it’s to protest the planned closure of the OB unit and support a fair union contract amid stalled negotiations.
“We won’t stand by as Aspirus continues to undermine the health and safety of the U.P. residents it’s supposed to serve,” said Sarah Trudgeon, an RN at the hospital and president of the local Michigan Nurses Association union there.
“It is disgusting that Aspirus executives refused to take $1.2 million the state tried to give them to protect OB services at our hospital – they had no right to say no to money meant to help our community. Both at the bargaining table and in the community, Aspirus keeps treating U.P. residents and nurses like we just don’t matter.”
Nurses at the Ironwood hospital have been without a contract since August 2nd.
The rally will take place from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday at the corner of US-2 and Oak Lane.
The Michigan Nurses Association says this is not a work stoppage – all nurses scheduled to work will be doing so, and care at the hospital will not be disrupted.
Aspirus attributed national and regional OB/GYN shortages as a driving factor in the decision.
The next closest hospital to offer labor and delivery is Tamarack Health in Ashland which is about an hour from Ironwood.
