The nurses at the University of Michigan have voted to authorize their union’s bargaining team to call for a strike.
Out of the more 4,000 members of the Michigan Nurses Association - University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council, 96 percent of them voted in favor of authorizing a call for a strike.
The union is accusing the university of unfair labor practices.
Anne Jackson, a registered nurse at U-M, says understaffing and concerns over patient care are at the heart of this conflict.
“We believe the university is breaking labor law and refusing to discuss workload ratios with us. That’s so egregious that we’ve actually filed a lawsuit against them because they will not discuss workload ratios with us.”
The nurses have been working without a contract since July 1st.
The university said in a statement that they are disappointed in the result of the vote and are planning to ensure safe staffing levels if a work stoppage occurs.
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