After 17 days of picketing, the Ingham Regional nurses have ended their strike. 93% of the Ingham nurses that voted on a 3-year contract voted in favor of it. They say they got what they wanted and they’ll go back to work.
Joseph Marutiak, representing the Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 459, said the hospital agreed to immediately increase staffing levels in three units - the nurses' key reason for striking.
Nurses at Ingham Regional Hospital voted 282 to 23 in support of a three year contract that will immediately increase staffing in 2 critical care units and the emergency room.
Cindy Jeffries, Service Representative, Local 459 told WLNS, "We've added up to 20 new positions between the 3 areas that were critical, just designated for those areas to start us out."
Jodi Watts, Nurse, Ingham Regional Hospital: "The main floors that had issues were addressed. There's a guarantee in the contract that the other floors will be addressed through a council that will be established within the next 7 days."
While the union's staffing concerns were met, they were unsuccessful in obtaining a better pension plan. They had wanted plans upgraded to equal those that nurses receive at other hospitals owned by Ingham's parent company, McLaren Health Care Corp. But Marutiak told the Lansing State Journal the union will have to fight for that in the future. In the agreement, he said nurses will keep their existing pension plans; new employees will have a different plan in which they share the costs of the plan with the company.
But he again emphasized, "Staffing was a more important issue to us." Sources: WLNS, Lansing State Journal
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