Teamsters Nurses File Unfair Labor Practice Charge Against Corewell Health

Image source: Teamsters Facebook

Today in Detroit, Teamsters Local 2024 nurses filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge against Corewell Health East. The charge comes after months of negotiations and escalating tensions between front-line nurses and hospital administrators—putting issues of fair treatment and safe staffing in the spotlight for Michigan’s nursing community.

What’s at Stake?

The ULP charge centers on Corewell’s continued refusal to bargain over a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) that would prevent bargaining committee nurses from being forced to use their accrued paid time off (PTO) when participating in contract negotiations. The union argues that Corewell has for six months required nurses to exhaust their PTO before being allowed unpaid leave for these bargaining dates—a move they call “another attempt to target and attack unionized workers.”

Mike Smith, lead negotiator and Trustee of Local 2024, said: “For the past six months, Corewell has been forcing Teamsters nurses to exhaust their accrued paid time off before allowing them to use unpaid leave for negotiation dates. We will not back down until we get these nurses what they deserve.”

National Teamsters leaders, including Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman, have pledged full support—including the union’s large strike fund. “Buckle up—because you’re in for the fight of your life,” Zuckerman said during the June rally.

Michigan’s Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a keynote speaker at the rally, offered encouragement: “As we go through these fights together, remember the power of the people will always be greater than that of the people in power.”

Nurses Speak Out

Sarah Johnson, a member of the negotiating committee, voiced the growing frustration among Corewell nurses: “We're the ones holding these hospitals together, caring for patients day in and day out. We've given everything to this community, and it's time Corewell gives us the respect we've more than earned. We're not backing down.”

A rally held in June drew hundreds of nurses to Southfield in an emphatic call for safer staffing ratios, better pay, and improved health care coverage—a key issue given many nurses struggle to access medication and essential care through the hospital’s own insurance policy.

“Any little ache or pain, you have to push it aside. It’s terrifying,” said one nurse in a union video. Another added: “We’re the ones on the front lines taking care of patients, and we have the worst health care benefits… probably nationally. We care for patients, and we don’t have anyone that cares for us.”

 

Economic Improvements: Some Progress, Still a Fight

Negotiations haven’t been all setbacks. The committee recently approved an MOA providing economic improvements—retroactive wage bumps, tier adjustments for advanced practice providers, a $250 bonus, and increases to shift differentials and retirement plan matching. But nurses say the fight for a fair first contract, including a stronger economic package and safer working conditions, remains uphill. The next round of bargaining is set for September 17-18 in Detroit.

As of publishing, Corewell Health has not issued a public statement addressing the new ULP charge. 

Nurse.org will continue to update this article as more information becomes available.

 

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