KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The threat of a strike has been averted as nurses at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo have reached a tentative agreement with their hospital’s administration.
If ratified, the new three-year contract would cover over 300 nurses at the hospital.
The agreement was reached after 86% of voting MNA members at Ascension Borgess passed a resolution authorizing their elected bargaining team to have the ability to call for a strike should it be necessary.
“By standing together, we sent a clear message to Ascension that a strong contract that protects patients by recruiting and retaining nurses is vital to our community,” said Lori Batzloff, a nurse at Ascension Borgess and president of the local bargaining unit of the Michigan Nurses Association. “Now it’s time for the membership to review the tentative agreement. I plan to vote in favor of the deal and encourage other nurses to do the same.”
The union representing the nurses says highlights of the new deal include:
Average raises of 20.5% in year one of the contract, creating a new wage scale ranging from $33.44 to $48.72.
An additional emergency personal day for all RNs to help address the work/life balance challenges many nurses face and help improve retention.
Increasing shift differentials for evening and night shift nurses by $1/hr – a 100% increase for evening nurses, as well as increasing on-call pay to $5/hr to help address staffing concerns.
Following an informational rally by union members in November, Ascension agreed to withdraw their proposals demanding that RNs be required to work every other weekend and eliminating all contractually guaranteed leaves.
The union says full details of the contract will be made available to the membership in the coming days. A ratification vote will be held next Wednesday, December 14.
The agreement only becomes final if ratified by the membership.
