The MNA-UMPNC is attempting to force a sellout contract onto 6,200 Michigan Medicine nurses who had previously voted by an overwhelming majority for strike action to win their demands.
The tentative agreement with Michigan Medicine announced on Thursday by the MNA-UMPNC is a betrayal of the months-long struggle by nurses to put an end to intolerable understaffing, mandatory overtime and extended on-call times.
The rally and protest at the University of Michigan Board of Regents meeting on Thursday is the latest diversion by the MNA-UMPNC aimed at preventing Michigan Medicine nurses from uniting with other sections of the working class to fight intolerable conditions at the hospital in Ann Arbor.
At a series of union meetings held nearly two weeks after an overwhelming vote to authorize a strike, the MNA-UMPNC told nurses to “be patient” and rely on “political influencers” in the Democratic administration of Michigan Governor Whitmer.
Nurses must be warned that the MNA-UMPNC is preparing a sellout of their fight for safe staffing. The Michigan Medicine Rank-and-File Committee is fighting to unite with health care workers and nurses across the US and internationally.