MARQUETTE, MI— Nurses and techs from UPHS-Marquette held a rally at Maquette’s Harlow Park Thursday to show solidarity and gain support from the community. Dozens of employees held signs and strolled on the sidewalk along Washington Street, within sight of the hospital building.
The biggest issues between the two unions and hospital administration are wages and retention.
Katlyn Lafrinere is a senior cardiovascular technologist at UP Health System Marquette and President of Marquette Ancillary Staff and Technologists, a newly formed union under the Michigan Nurses Association. She said the tech union is beginning to bargain its first contract with the hospital, and members were rallying to garner community support.
“Our issue at hand is wages, and we’re losing staff faster than we can possibly even replace them. Staff are leaving in droves due to wages, unable to get time off.”
Lafrinere noted techs are leaving for travel jobs and to pursue full-time opportunities in places that will pay them better.
The tech union wants to be acknowledged at the bargaining table and their concerns taken seriously.
Meanwhile, UPHS-Marquette registered nurses have been talking to hospital administration for some time about low staffing levels.
Stephanie DePetro is President of the MGH RN Staff Council and Vice President of the MNA. She said multiple nurses have left UPHS-Marquette in the past month and nobody has been hired to replace them in October. DePetro stated staffing ratios at the hospital aren’t safe.
“And our community now knows it’s not safe. So, every time that we come out here and we engage the community, it’s to make sure that the hospital realizes that the conditions in that hospital are not safe. So, it’s not just the nurses—we have community support, as well.”
DePetro noted the rally was part of kicking off contract negotiations with UPHS-Marquette. The nurses’ current contract expires May 31, 2022.
She said nurses and techs are really proud of the community and all the support they have here, including other unions.
