ADRIAN, Mich. — Nurses at ProMedica Charles and Virginia Hickman Hospital in Adrian have voted to authorize a strike after they said the company refused to increase pay and continues to demand contract concessions.
According to a news release issued from the Michigan Nurse's Association, 98% of members voted for the strike authorization during a Jan. 11 vote.
The nurses have been working without a contract since the previous deal with ProMedica expired Jan. 1, according to the news release. The union and health care company have been negotiating since September.
ProMedica negotiators presented the union with the company's "best and final" contract offer on Jan. 9, ProMedica Associate Vice President, Strategic Communications Tausha Moore said in a statement to local media Tuesday. Moore described the offer as "fair and market competitive."
A strike-authorization vote does not mean nurses are walking off the job immediately. It authorizes union leaders to call a strike if necessary. The news release said the nurses would give a 10-day notice to the hospital administration before a strike begins.
"ProMedica executives are still demanding major concessions to nurses’ retirement that would lead to the creation of a two-tier system," the news release said. "ProMedica’s administration is also refusing to provide wages that mirror what other area hospitals are offering. Nurses fear the impact that these proposals could have on staffing levels at the hospital and therefore on patients’ safety."
ProMedica officials are prepared for a potential strike, the company's statement said.
"If a strike were to occur, we would work diligently to ensure our action plans support our commitment to providing safe, high-quality care," the statement from Moore said. "We know there is a lot of misinformation, and potentially even disinformation, circulating on this topic. To be clear, we fully expect the not-for-profit hospital to remain open and continue serving the community."
Contract negotiations were scheduled to resume Tuesday, according to union's the release.
About 140 nurses work at the Adrian hospital.
ProMedica, one of the region's largest employers, owns a dozen hospitals in northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan.
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