Nurses in Sault Ste. Marie are planning to go on strike, according to a Thursday announcement.
The Michigan Nursing Association announced the local union delivered a 10-day strike notice to MyMichigan Medical Center Sault due to “unfair labor practices.” The strike is scheduled to begin at 6:45 a.m. on April 15 and is expected to last five days.
“We are willing to sacrifice our paychecks to fight for our patients because we cannot allow the situation at our hospital to continue to deteriorate,” said Colleen Waucaush, RN, president of the local nurses' union. “A strike is the only option we have left for us to show we are committed to advocating for our patients and our community.”
The nurses' union and MyMichigan have been working without a contract since the beginning of the year, and have failed to reach a new agreement after 13 rounds of negotiations.
Competitive wages, more paid time off and better healthcare premiums are at the top of the list of the union’s demands, according to multiple nurses who’ve spoken to WCMU over the last several weeks.
Nurses said these demands are an effort to boost staff numbers and reduce the workload on nurses that are being stretched too thin.
"I think every unit is short, by not just a couple people, but many ... people,” said Corrina Pancheri, a labor and delivery nurse at MyMichigan Medical Center Sault. “That's not only bad for us, it's also bad for our community. We want people to come, stay, buy houses and groceries and grow in our community — and that's not happening.”
In its latest contract proposal to the union, MyMichigan included a pay increase from $37.00 to $44.77 an hour for the most senior nurses.
Kevin Kalchik, president of MyMichigan Medical Center Sault, said in an emailed statement the hospital’s latest offer is “fair and reasonable.” He said the hospital’s bargaining unit has negotiated in good faith, and their latest offer keeps the hospital competitive in a challenging healthcare environment.
“MyMichigan is unaware of any unfair labor practices filed against us, and the MNA was unable to identify any such charges,” Kalchik said. “It is disappointing the bargaining nurses walked away from the table after the package we offered accomplished much of what they have been seeking.”
Each of the 120 nurses employed at MyMichigan Medical Center Sault will use their own discretion to strike or not on April 15. All hospital services will continue as normal during the strike.
A strike preparedness plan is underway at MyMichigan and will likely include onboarding traveling nurses to fill any vacant shifts caused by the strike.
“We are confident that if the nurses do indeed decide to strike, we will continue to provide patients with the same excellent care they receive now,” Kalchik said.
The local nurses' union and MyMichigan are scheduled for another bargaining session on April 10 under the supervision of a federal mediator.
Editor’s Note: In the interest of transparency, we note that MyMichigan Health is a financial supporter of WCMU.
