IRONWOOD – After lengthy negotiations, nurses at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital have voted to ratify a new union contract. The Michigan Nurses Association-affiliated rank-and-file voted Wednesday to approve the pact, which takes effect immediately and runs through July 19, 2028.

“Our goal was always to get a contract that supports Ironwood nurses so we can recruit and retain the skilled nurses our community needs,” Sarah Trudgeon, RN and president of the local Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) union at the hospital, said in a prfess release. “A strong nurses’ contract is a big part of protecting access to health care that we currently have in our area.”

“We have been so touched by our community’s support and we want to thank everyone for coming together to lift us up,” she said. “We will continue to advocate strongly for Aspirus to put patients first as we move forward.” 

The agreement maintains the wage structure that rewards nurses’ experience and also guarantees annual raises across-the-board. It includes increased pay for on-call and night shifts and a cap on how much nurses pay for health insurance, as well as improved language around employer disclosure of workplace violence incidents.

Meanwhile, MNA nurses at other Aspirus U.P. hospitals continue negotiating new contracts. Aspirus Iron River nurses bargain again on Jan. 27 and Aspirus Keweenaw nurses in Laurium continue bargaining today (Jan. 15).

“We stand in solidarity with our Aspirus colleagues at the Iron River and Keweenaw hospitals as they bargain for fair contracts that support them so they can take care of their communities,” Trudgeon said. 

Bud Sargent can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 544. Hisemail adress is bsargent@miningjournal.net