Nurses at Ironwood Hospital unanimously rejected Aspirus’ latest contract proposal.
It comes more than five months after contract negotiations first started.
Registered Nurse Ashley Thompson has worked at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital for 10 years as med-surg in the OB department. She’s also on the bargaining committee that’s been working through contract negotiations with Aspirus.
“Overall, it just wasn't what we were hoping for from them,” said Thompson. “Our group, I think, sent a strong message in unanimously saying, ‘No, that's not going to work for us.’”
Part of Aspirus’ latest contract proposal would eliminate the current wage scale and move all RNs to the Aspirus system compensation wage range.
Aspirus says it’s more flexible and market competitive than the traditional “step schedule.” According to Aspirus, this amounts to a 7.1% wage increase in the first year for the RN group.
Thompson says the RNs have been vocal from the beginning about keeping the current wage scale.
“Their proposal has half of us, and most of those people are the nurses that have been there for a while with experience, making less money than what our proposal would give us, wage wise,” said Thompson.
Thompson says the contract proposal also didn’t meaningfully address the OB closure.
Aspirus announced last month that it would be ending its labor and delivery services at the end of this year at Ironwood Hospital.
Aspirus declined more than $1 million from the state of Michigan to keep the OB unit saying it wouldn’t have been a responsible use of taxpayer dollar.
“We did send them a proposal at our last bargaining session about potentially keeping the department open, or what we can do to help with the closing transition,” said Thompson. “They really didn't even address that in the proposal they wanted us to vote on.”
The nearest labor and delivery will be about an hour away in Ashland when the one in Ironwood closes.
Thompson says the OB unit closure coupled with the closure of the Ontonagon Hospital and the termination of CNAs at Iron River Hospital feels like a hit to the Upper Peninsula.
“It's just like hit after hit after hit to the U.P., just living here. It's a hit to the community, and it's a hit to us as nurses,” said Thompson.
Iron River nurses are about to start their own contract negotiation with Aspirus.
In September, nurses, through their union, the Michigan Nurses Association, filed a federal unfair labor practice charge against Aspirus Ironwood, citing refusal to return to the bargaining table.
Aspirus announced the latest contract proposal about two weeks later. In addition to the wage scale changes, it included:
- A guaranteed wage increase across the board for RNs in years two and three of the contract which it says aligns with the latest proposal from the MNA.
- Increases in “Call Pay” (when nurses get called in for an unscheduled shift) from $2.70 per hour to $4.50 per hour and continued pay of time and one-half for hours worked.
- An increase in the evening “Shift Differential” rate from $2.85 per hour to $3.00 per hour for hours worked between 11 pm and 7 am.
In a statement to WXPR, Aspirus said it was disappointed to learn the RNs represented by the Michigan Nurses Association voted against the proposal:
“Aspirus believes the proposal was comprehensive and responsive to employee demands as it includes a flexible and market competitive compensation package with an immediate 7.1% wage increase (which is a higher increase than the MNA’s last wage proposal with a “step schedule”) with a guaranteed wage increase in years two and three of the contract. This market-rate wage structure will bring Ironwood RNs in line with RNs across the Aspirus system. Over the past five years, the market increases have dramatically outperformed the MNA’s “step schedule."
Additionally, the proposal includes increases in “Call Pay” (when nurses get called in for an unscheduled shift) and “Shift Differential” rates.
These compensation increases ensure Aspirus Ironwood can retain current staff and recruit new talent so that we can continue to provide high quality care in the U.P.
We will continue to bargain in good faith and look forward to our next bargaining session. Our continued goal is to come to an agreement that meets our threefold obligation to our patients, to our team members, and to the fantastic communities we serve.”
The bargaining teams were set to meet again this Friday. Aspirus rescheduled that meeting to the 29th.
"We just want a fair contract," said Thompson. "We know the community. We work with the community. We want to provide the best care that we can for the people of our community."
A Michigan Nurses Association spokesperson told WXPR 47 RNs work at Ironwood Hospital, majority are union members.
