Corewell Health nurses in Southeast Michigan vote to join Teamsters union, nearly 2-to-1
(CBS DETROIT) — More than 9,600 registered nurses at nine Corewell Health Southeast Michigan hospitals voted Friday to unionize and be represented by the Teamsters union.
In September, nurses submitted cards of interest to the National Labor Relations Board, which then approved the right to hold a formal vote. According to the National Labor Relations Board, nurses voted 4,958 to 2,957 in favor of union representation, or just shy of 63%.
"Despite Corewell waging one of the most expensive and aggressive union-busting campaigns we've ever seen, these nurses knew their value and were determined to become Teamsters," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O'Brien in a statement. "Corewell nurses chose the Teamsters because they knew it was the only way to secure a strong union contract. This organizing win is exactly what we mean when we say we are building the biggest, fastest, and strongest Teamsters Union."
Mark Geary, Sr. Director of Communications for Corewell Health, acknowledged the vote, saying in a statement, "Corewell Health nurses in Southeast Michigan voted to be represented by the Brotherhood of Teamsters for the purposes of collective bargaining. The results are not yet certified. We value all our nurses and are committed to moving forward together, united by our mission to provide high-quality care to our patients and the communities we serve."
In October, CBS News Detroit spoke with Katrina Wallace, a nurse at Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital, who was organizing the union effort.
"The union would give us the power to be able to advocate for our patients and give us a voice in our profession," said Wallace. "We would have 9,700 nurses behind the negotiation table. That's a pretty powerful force."
The bargaining unit includes full-time and regular part-time registered nurses, as well as contingent nurses, flex nurses and charge nurses at nine Corewell Health locations: Dearborn, Farmington Hills, Grosse Pointe, Royal Oak, Southfield, Taylor, Trenton, Troy and Wayne.
"Health care workers like Corewell Teamsters were praised as heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but their employer has had little to no appreciation for them since," said Peter Finn, Director of the Teamsters Public Services Division, in a news release. "Nurses are tired of being disrespected, paid poverty wages, and denied access to the same high-quality care that they provide.
"While this was not an easy battle, Corewell nurses channeled what it really means to be a Teamster and fought back to ensure they got the strongest possible union representation. With this new unit at Corewell, the Teamsters Union will now represent nearly 50,000 essential health care workers across the country."