The nurses at the University of Michigan continue to negotiate with university leadership with a strike possibility remaining on the table.
The nurses have been working without a contract since July 1st. The union has accused the university of breaking labor laws and has filed a lawsuit over the university’s refusal to discuss workload ratios.
Michigan Medicine says they are planning to ensure safe staffing levels if a work stoppage occurs.
Joey Andrews from the AFL-CIO says this case could be a bellwether for future labor disputes involving hospital workers when it comes to nurse-to-patient ratios.
“It’s an unsustainable point right now. And a lot of hospitals don’t want to talk about it because it’s a complicated issue, and it costs a lot of money to fix. But I think they’re going to be forced to reckon with it.”
Just before Labor Day, the nurses voted to authorize the union to call for a strike. The two sides held negotiating sessions all last week and over the weekend without a resolution.
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