IRON RIVER, MI— Nurses at Aspirus Iron River unanimously rejected a contract proposal from hospital administration on Wednesday.
RNs represented by the Michigan Nurses Association say it was rejected because it:
• Eliminates the wage structure that rewards nurses’ experience
• Provides lower wages than the MNA proposal for nearly half the nurses
• Fails to meaningfully address the impending closure of the OB unit in Ironwood and the nurses’ proposal regarding it.
“It’s no surprise that our members spoke loud and clear to tell Aspirus that their unreasonable offer is a no-go,” said Sarah Trudgeon, an RN at the hospital and president of the local MNA union. “We need competitive wages to keep nurses working at our hospital to provide the best care possible. Under the Aspirus proposal, we would be giving up guaranteed raises for years to come and nearly half of us would make less than we would under our team’s proposal. It’s shameful that just like Aspirus is cutting health care across the U.P., it’s refusing to invest in the nurses who provide the care.”
Both sides return to the bargaining table on Oct. 24th.
Nurses at Aspirus Iron River are also dealing with cuts at their hospital. They will hold a rally Friday, Oct. 17 to advocate for a fair contract as they approach the start of bargaining and to protest those cuts, which include elimination of almost all certified nurse aides, addition of charge nurse duties, and the end of overnight emergency surgeries.
