Lansing, MI – The elected bargaining team of Sparrow Hospital caregivers and the administration reached a tentative agreement for a new 3-year contract today, averting a possible strike. This agreement will not be final until voted on by the membership of the Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital, a local of the Michigan Nurses Association (PECSH-MNA).

Highlights of the agreement include:

• Significant wage increases over the life of the contract such that an average bedside nurse would see a 20% increase in wages over three years,
• No increases in healthcare premiums over the course of the contract and no reduction in sick days for caregivers,
• A return to the safe staffing process Sparrow had stopped following at the start of negotiations, and,
• Contractually guaranteed access to appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Informational meetings are scheduled for next week when the full details of the agreement will be presented directly to PECSH-MNA members. Following the meetings, a ratification vote will occur where members will vote to either accept or reject the agreement. While the exact timing for the ratification vote is still being worked out, the process is expected to take place within the next two weeks.

PECSH-MNA caregivers had been working without a contract since Oct. 31. The bargaining team, which met with administration four days this week in an effort to reach an agreement, unanimously recommends ratification. If ratified, the contract would take effect immediately.

“We truly believe that this contract will make a difference for caregivers working at our hospital, for the patients we serve, and for our community as a whole,” said Katie Pontifex, a Sparrow nurse and president of PECSH-MNA. “We are really proud of the solidarity shown by caregivers in advocating for our patients and our community.”

The Professional Employee Council of Sparrow Hospital is a local of the Michigan Nurses Association (PECSH-MNA.) The union represents approximately 2,200 members across 53 different job classifications at Sparrow Hospital including nurses, pharmacists, and laboratory scientists. The Michigan Nurses Association is the largest and most effective union for nurses and healthcare professionals in Michigan, representing approximately 13,000 members across the state. MNA is an affiliate of National Nurses United.

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Contact: Dawn Kettinger, 517-721-9688