It's been one year since hundreds of registered nurses at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc walked off the job,launching a strike as contract negotiations between the state's second-largest health system and the Teamsters Local 332 union unraveled.
"Here we are, one year from the start of our strike," said Local 332 President Dan Glass, who was grilling food for members on the picket line on the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Although negotiations the last 12 months have been contentious at times, Glass said there has been movement in collective bargaining in recent weeks and that his outlook is growing more hopeful.
"We've had a lot more sessions and we've actually reached some tentative agreements. We are down to six or eight open articles,"
he said. "It's been really good progress. I've been happy with that.
"We don't get together again in person until Sept. 11, but lines of communication remain open in the meantime ... if there's stuff we can clean up, get off the table and stuff like that."
Henry Ford says it met for bargaining with the Teamsters for the 93rd time on Aug. 31. It already boosted wages by 13% for nurses and added other economic incentives to support staff, including a 10% pay differential for those who work overnight shifts, an added $2 per hour differential for those who work weekend shifts and critical staffing pay.
"Henry Ford Genesys Hospital remains focused on what has long defined the hospital’s role in Genesee County: caring for patients, supporting team members, and serving as an economic anchor for the region," the hospital said in a statement, adding that it also invested millions of dollars in capital projects at the site.
"Our doors remain open to our nurses who have been away and we are hopeful that they will choose to return to caring for our patients and community."
Among the key issues for the union in a new contract is establishing safe nurse-to-patient ratios, Glass said.
"It's literally coming down to trying to get an agreement on ... knowing that they're going to staff, they're going to hire, they're going to put positions out ... while honoring the ratios and negotiating in good faith," he said.
Henry Ford, however, says it wants to continue the same nurse-to-patient ratios established in the previous contract.
The National Labor Relations Board has dismissed three unfair labor practice charges the Teamsters have lodged against Henry Ford Genesys Hospital in the last year.
Contact Kristen Shamus: kshamus@freepress.com. Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Henry Ford Genesys strike passes new threshold: 1 year on picket lines
