UPHS-Marquette nurses and tech staff rally for fair contract negotiations

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - Nurses and Tech staff at UPHS-Marquette are asking the hospital’s parent company, Duke LifePoint, for more support.

Both nurses and ancillary staff took part in a rally Thursday evening at Harlow Park in Marquette from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Nurses are looking for Duke LifePoint to renegotiate fair contracts in May of next year. Tech staff are preparing for their first contract negotiations.

All members are asking one thing of LifePoint - to invest in the community or leave.

The Michigan Nurses Association invited community members to rally with them and encouraged everyone to show support by wearing red.

“Were just looking to have LifePoint really value our community and make good on the promises they made when they bought the hospital – which was investing in our community and investing in our staff,” says Stephanie DePetro, Vice President of the Michigan Nurses Association.

DePetro says staff is also asking for retention bonuses.

The MNA represents approximately 600 members at UPHS-Marquette.

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.”

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