Contact:
Anita Szczepanski, Labor Attorney
Michigan Nurses Association
517/349-5640, x31
517/927-7710 (cell)
anita.szczepanski@minurses.org
or
Carol Feuss, Director of Communication
517/349-5640, ext. 39 or (cell) 517/230-4086
carol.feuss@minurses.org
August 1, 2005
For Immediate Release
HACKLEY RNS WIN BACK HEALTH INSURANCE
BENEFITS
Muskegon, MI – Registered Nurses at Hackley
Hospital, represented by the Michigan Nurses Association,
won back healthcare benefits in arbitration this
week.
In March of 2004, the RNs at Hackley Hospital
filed a class action grievance and an Unfair Labor
Practice (ULP) charge with the National Labor Relations
Board against the hospital. At issue was the hospital’s
change to the healthcare plan without negotiating
the changes.
The hospital changed the prescription co-pays
for the RNs in two different health care plans and
eliminated two other plans entirely. As a result,
RNs were paying twice the amount or more for brand
name prescription drugs.
The grievance arbitrator found that the hospital
did not have the right to make unilateral changes
to the health insurance benefits and ordered Hackley
Hospital to reimburse all nurses for out of pocket
costs associated with the changes. He also ordered
the hospital to revert back to the original plans
until the parties were able to negotiate any changes.
“The RNs have the right to rely on the fact
that the negotiated benefits in theircontract will
remain intact during the term of the agreement,”
says Anita Szczepanski, MNA Labor Attorney. “The
arbitrator’s award enforces this legal principle
that the parties’ agreement cannot be changed
unilaterally by one party.”
The NLRB has not yet ruled on the Unfair Labor
Practice (ULP) charge.
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The Michigan Nurses
Association, nurses’ voice for 100 years,
is the largest nurses’ union in the State
of Michigan. The Michigan Nurses Association (MNA)
promotes the economic and general welfare of nurses
in the workplace, fosters high standards of nursing
practice, and lobbies the legislature and regulatory
agencies on health care issues affecting nurses
and recipients of nursing services. MNA is a constituent
member of the American Nurses Association and
the United American Nurses, as well as an affiliate
of the AFL-CIO.
