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California company hiring temp nurses for hospital strike

MARQUETTE — California-based staffing company HealthSource Global has received notice of a five-day strike at UP Health System-Marquette and is recruiting nurses to cover shifts during the strike dates and related travel time.

According to its website, the company is seeking Michigan licensed registered nurses in all specialties. Pay rates are $65 to $70 depending on the nurses’ specialty. The company will also pay for housing, airfare or mileage reimbursement, the website states.

“These wages are more than double what UPHS-Marquette nurses earn. It is appalling that Duke LifePoint, (UP Health System’s parent company) would invest that money in temporary help and not in its staff, and its ability to care for the patients at its own hospital,” said Scott Balko, registered nurse and president of the local Michigan Nurses Association chapter.

Nurses have been in contract negotiations with for-profit hospital UP Health System since April. A two-month extension expired in July after the hospital failed to address the nurses’ concerns, a release from the nurses association said.

Nurses have been working without a contract ever since.

On Friday, nurses notified hospital management of their intent to strike Oct. 5 and 6 after their elected bargaining team authorized the call to strike.

So far in 2017, nurses have filled out hundreds of forms detailing unsafe and dangerous conditions patients face in the hospital, a release from the MNA said.

The report, which was handed over to the state of Michigan for investigation, included a list of 111 cases of one or more IVs running dry, medicines being given late, 259 reports of nurses being mandated to work 16-hour shifts without lunches or breaks and 12 reports of one or more patient falls.

In a statement to The Mining Journal on Friday, Victor Harrington, regional director of marketing and business development for UPHS, said there are four meetings scheduled for negotiations with the MNA prior to the strike dates.

“We continue to bargain in good faith; however, should it occur, we are fully prepared to handle a strike and ensure there is no interruption in care for our patients and community members,” Harrington said. “We are securing fully-qualified staff to replace those who go on strike and are attending to every detail in preparation for this event.”

Harrington declined to comment further before today’s press time.

Starting at $4.62/week.

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