Q. What is a strike?
A. A strike happens when a group of workers – in our case, hundreds of nurses – come together and decide to withhold our labor in order to advocate for what is right.
Q. Why are we holding a strike vote?
A. The shortest explanation is that we are holding a strike vote to win a fair contract and to protest the alleged unfair labor practices committed by Tenet.
Here’s a longer explanation:
After months of negotiations, Tenet still won’t offer us a fair contract. We continue to be far apart because they refuse to agree to competitive wages, affordable health insurance, and safe staffing protections.
Moreover, Tenet has engaged in a pattern of what we consider to be unlawful labor practices that seek to undermine our union.
As nurses, we have to decide together how far we are willing to go to get the contract we deserve and to stop Tenet’s union-busting. We get to choose together: are we satisfied with what Tenet is offering? Are we willing to continue to tolerate their unfair labor practices? If not, what are we willing to do to change the status quo?
Q. How will the decision about whether to strike made?
A. All dues-paying members have been invited to participate in an online strike authorization vote from February 11-13. If at least 70 percent vote YES, our elected bargaining team will have the power to call for a strike if deemed necessary. A strike can only be authorized if we – the membership – choose to make it happen.
If you are not yet a member of our union, you can become one by going to minurses.org/join.
Q. How do I participate in the strike authorization vote?
A. Informational meetings to ask questions and learn more will be held on Feb. 11 at 8:00 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 4:00 pm, 6:00 pm and 8:00 pm at Commerce United Methodist Church (1155 N. Commerce Road, Commerce Township, MI 48382). Drop in anytime.
All dues-paying members in good standing will receive a ballot via personal email and can vote from 12:01 a.m. Feb. 11 to 3:00 p.m. Feb 13. Only members in good standing are eligible to vote. If you are not yet a member, you can join now by going to minurses.org/join. Membership applications will also be available at the informational sessions. If you need to update your personal email address, please do so by clicking here.
Q. Is striking legal? Am I protected from retaliation if I go on strike?
A. Yes. You have the legal right to strike under the law. No action can be taken against your nursing license for participating in a strike. Retaliation from management against anyone for participating in the strike is strictly illegal. Illegal retaliation may include reducing regular hours, changing schedules, and issuing disciplines. MNA will aggressively defend members experiencing retaliation due to participation in legally protected strikes and union activity. If this occurs, please contact your MNA representatives immediately.
Q. When would the strike be?
A. Should we choose to authorize our bargaining team to call for a strike, we would be giving them the power and ability to set a date for a strike in the future. Our team would provide 10-day notice of a strike date.
Q. Can the hospital hire permanent replacements?
A. This is not likely and is ill-advised on the part of the hospital. In most strike situations, the use of temporary employees can satisfy the employer’s needs to remain open. It would be very difficult to find skilled nurses willing to accept a job without assurance of continued employment when the strike is over, and it could potentially be illegal for management to seek to do so. We are striking, in part, to protest the unfair labor practices of the hospital. If Tenet is found to have committed unfair labor practices (ULPs), the hospital would not be able to permanently replace any workers.
Q. Can the hospital or my manager ask me whether I would strike?
You should expect that the hospital or your manager will ask you about whether you would individually participate in a potential strike. You are legally protected from having to answer. You may exercise your right to decline by politely refusing to respond. Hospitals often instruct managers to develop and use personal relationships with staff, in order to coerce or intimidate nurses. You are not required to respond to these questions, and if you do, we urge you to simply reply that you do not know or are unsure. It is illegal for these questions to be asked of you by management in a coercive or intimidating way. If that happens, you should contact your MNA representatives immediately.
A. How would patient care be impacted by a strike? What about my license?
We work diligently to protect our patients before and during any strike. This includes giving a 10-day notice of a strike to the hospital. Our strike would be to highlight issues affecting nurses and patients as a result of Tenet’s decisions. Your license will not be negatively impacted by your decision to choose to act in solidarity and go on strike.
Q. What does it take to have a successful strike?
A. SOLIDARITY! The more nurses we have standing together, the stronger we will be. Every nurse who chooses not to stand with us – should we decide to strike – weakens the union and our bargaining position.