MARQUETTE — In the midst of contract negotiations, about 600 workers are demanding fair contracts that help put Upper Peninsula patients first.

Registered nurses and technicians from the U.P. Health System-Marquette, will hold a community rally on June 16 to send Lifepoint Health, who owns UPHS-Marquette and is based in Tennessee, a message about the desire for fair compensation and proper health insurance.

Lifepoint Health operates under the umbrella of Apollo Global Management, a multibillion-dollar private equity firm.

Healthcare workers are bargaining over two separate contracts; one for the RN Staff Council and one for the Marquette Ancillary Staff and Technologists. Both unions are part of the Michigan Nurses Association, which consists of about 600 combined professionals. The RNSC’s contract was set to expire on May 31, but they agreed on a one month extension to July 1. Their bargaining began on March 18 and will resume June 17 following the rally. MAST’s contract expires on September 8, where bargaining started on March 19 and will resume June 23.

The Mining Journal reached out to UPHS for comment and received the following response.

“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, Market Director for 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.”

According to an MNA press release, the workers are worried about fair compensation to attract and retain healthcare professionals, in addition to current employees’ health insurance. Both RNSC and MAST have grievances pending about Lifepoint’s actions, including when the corporation tried to make RNs take an inferior plan this past autumn that imposed changes with decreased care options, and changing MAST members’ insurance to a plan with less coverage and more costs without proper notification.

“Lifepoint executives should be listening to healthcare professionals who actually do the work of providing care for people all across our region – not their shareholders,” said Christina Hanson, a Registered Nurse and president of the RN Staff Council, in a press release. “It’s very troubling that Lifepoint executives have not responded to our proposal for safer staffing. Our community deserves better. Staffing and other decisions should be based on U.P. patients, not Tennessee profits.”

Lifepoint is still pushing to replace health insurance that the RNs have had for decades, and while negotiations for RNs are farther along, MAST members are saying that Lifepoint’s actions towards the RNs during negotiations are concerning.

“We want to send a message to Lifepoint executives that they should be putting U.P. patients over their own profits,” said Josh Bowman, a medical laboratory scientist at the hospital, president of MAST and an MNA board member in the MNA press release. “Lifepoint executives are cutting corners on healthcare workers’ health insurance solely to increase shareholders’ profits. We are united with our RN colleagues in standing up for what’s right for workers, patients, and the U.P.”

The rally is not a work stoppage, as RNs and technicians will be participating on their own time. It will take place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on June 16 in Harlow Park, located at 100 West Washington Street. Member leaders are expected to speak around 5:40 p.m.

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