Nurses and techs from UPHS-Marquette holding community rally for fair contract negotiations

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) -Nurses and techs from UPHS-Marquette are holding a community rally for fair contract negotiations.

They are calling on Lifepoint, the group who owns UPHS-Marquette, to either invest in the hospital or leave.

Those attending the rally are asked to wear red to show their solidarity with health care workers.

The rally is Thursday from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Harlow Park in Marquette.

The Michigan Nurses Association represents approximately 600 members at UPHS-Marquette.

The nurses’ contract runs through May 31st of next year.

The techs and ancillary staff just won a union so they will begin to bargain a first contract.

Both groups are preparing to begin the negotiating process.

In response, UPHS-Marquette Administration released a statement saying in part “We strive daily to create excellent workplaces for our employees. Especially during this pandemic, which has arguably been the most challenging situation the healthcare industry has ever faced, we want to recognize and support our staff and clinical teams who have cared for our patients during this time.”

TV6′s Andrew LaCombe will have more on this story tonight on your TV6 news.