Nurses at the McLaren Lapeer Regional Hospital, about an hour north of Detroit, are heading back to the bargaining table with hospital administrators Monday after they voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike last week.
The authorization doesn’t guarantee a work stoppage, but it does allow the union’s bargaining team to call a strike if necessary. Nurses at the hospital have been without a contract since May and haven’t been able to reach an agreement with McLaren.
“This overwhelming strike vote sends a message to McLaren that nurses remain strong, united, and determined to do what it takes to get a fair contract,” said Alisha Ferkowicz, a nurse and member of the bargaining team.
The union, according to Ferkowicz, is trying to negotiate a contract that has competitive pay. But Ferkowicz said the nurses also want "major issues" like maintenance and equipment shortages to be addressed. She cited broken elevators, pipe bursts, and ceiling leaks in operating rooms.
“Our hospital is falling apart, our staff has been cut to the bone, and nurses’ patient safety concerns continue to grow," said Ashley Witmer, an RN at the hospital and president of the local union.
A spokesperson for McLaren did not address those claims in their statement to WCMU. However, they did say that they remain committed to bargaining in good faith.
“Our responsibility, though, is to the community, and patients who rely on us remain our highest priority,” the statement reads. “The hospital is open and fully operational, and we are prepared to continue providing safe, compassionate care with minimal disruption should a strike occur.”
Earlier this year, the McLaren Lapeer Regional Hospital received a C in overall safety from The Leapfrog Group, an independent non-profit organization specializing in hospital transparency and safety evaluations. The survey was completed in coordination with the hospital. Over the past three years, the hospital's overall safety grade has toggled between C's and B's.
“We want to be proud to work here and we want to give our community the care they deserve,” Ferkowicz said. “But McLaren makes it really hard for us sometimes.”
Low on staff and equipment
In addition to cuts to staff at the hospital, including phlebotomists and pharmacists, Ferkowicz said there have been shortages of equipment in some departments and that labs are getting delayed.
On Sept. 4, the union filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board that the additional work being put on nurses has "added significant duties to the nurses' workloads without engaging in collective bargaining with union representatives as required."
Ferkowicz and other nurses have questioned why the hospital seems to be cutting corners on things that could jeopardize patient care when the hospital doesn't seem to be hurting for money.
"It can be very challenging sometimes to administer the medications we need to when we can't find the equipment," Ferkowicz said.
McLaren officials said they offered the nurses a 15% raise over the course of three years in their most recent contract proposal.
A news release from the union said a “supermajority” of McLaren Lapeer nurses signed a petition declaring “no-confidence” in McLaren CEO Tim Vargas.
According to that release, Vargas was awarded a 35% increase in his annual compensation – going from $460,000 to $623,000 in 2024 – which are the most recent numbers that are publicly available .
McLaren officials did not address the petition or Vargas’s wages in their response to WCMU. Officials did say they are disappointed that the union authorized a strike.
WCMU's Rural Life and Agriculture reporting is made possible through the generous support of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
