Registered nurses, medical technologists and their supporters dressed in red and lined the road along West Washington Street, displaying signs that read, “We keep the U.P. healthy — now keep us safe,” “Your profits are killing our patients,” and “Don’t Tennessee our U.P.” among others to express their concerns.

Lifepoint Health, which owns and operates Upper Peninsula Health System-Marquette, has been bargaining with representatives for over 600 members between two unions — the Registered Nurses Staff Council and the Marquette Ancillary Staff and Technologists. Concerns stem from a series of actions taken by Lifepoint Health, such as its attempt to have RNs accept a health insurance plan inferior to their previous coverage as well as changing MAST members’ insurance plans to one with less coverage and more costs without proper notice, a direct violation of their current contract.

According to Lifepoint Health’s 2024 Community Benefit Report, the company had a total economic impact of nearly $6.3 billion, while employing nearly 55,000 people across the country. Lifepoint Health operates under the private equity firm Apollo Global Management, which reported in a press release that they had approximately $785 billion in assets under their management as of March 31.

The hospital had released the following statement: “Delivering high-quality, safe and compassionate care for our patients is our top priority at UP Health System – Marquette, and we strive each day to be an excellent workplace for our employees. For the past few months, we have been working with the Michigan Nurses Association to negotiate a successor collective bargaining agreement covering our hospital registered nurses,” said Janell Larson, director of Marketing and Communications at UPHS. “Although the previous contract was set to expire May 31, both parties have mutually agreed to extend the current agreement until July 1, and continue to negotiate respectfully and in good faith toward an agreement that benefits our employees, patients, hospital and the greater Marquette community as well as communities throughout the Upper Peninsula. We respect the MNA’s right to demonstrate and voice their bargaining interests. We remain focused on continuing constructive negotiations at the bargaining table.”

Nurses, medical technologists and their supporters were decked out in red on Monday evening along West Washington Street in Marquette. (Journal photo courtesy of Abby LaForest)

The RN contract had been set to expire on May 31, but an agreement with Lifepoint extended it to July 1. MAST’s contract expires on Sept. 8. Bargaining for both organizations started back in March, with the RNs on the 18 and MAST on the 19.

“The nurses and the techs are negotiating their new contract(s) and we have a staffing proposal that we have given (Lifepoint) and have gotten no response from them,” said Christina Hanson, president of the RN Staff Council. “Things are not really moving at the pace that we want them to be moving with negotiations, so we wanted them to see that we (are) serious about getting a new contract.”

Hanson took time to address the crowd during the rally alongside Josh Bowman, president of MAST and a board member with the Michigan Nurses Association. Working conditions, staffing shortages, high insurance co-pays and deductibles and concerns for patient care relating to employee burnout were a few reasons cited for the frustration and desire for change.

“We’re worried about the lack of staff, we’re worried about (the) conditions in our facility and we’re worried about the fact that moves like this signal that they (Lifepoint Health) aren’t taking us seriously, when they’re making moves at the expense of their people,” Bowman said.

Following the rally, the RNs returned to the bargaining table on Tuesday and MAST is set to return on June 23.

Abby LaForest can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 548. Her email address is alaforest@miningjournal.net.