UPHS - Marquette nurses reach tentative agreement for new contract

MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) - A tentative agreement has been reached for registered nurses at UP Health System - Marquette, the Michigan Nurses Association and hospital administration announced Thursday.

The tentative agreement is not final until approved by the membership. The previous contract expired June 1.

UPHS - Marquette members will vote on the agreement on June 9 and 10. The contract will be retroactive to June 1 if approved. No further details or statements will be released at this time, the MNA said.

“Our first priority has always been taking care of our patients and our community,” said Stephanie DePetro, RN, President of the MGH RN Staff Council and Vice President of the MNA Board of Directors, in a statement. “We are pleased to have reached a tentative agreement that focuses on attracting and retaining the nurses our community needs so we can provide the best care possible. We want to thank the community for their support; it has meant the world to us. UPHS - Marquette nurses also stand in solidarity with our ancillary staff and technologists, who are bargaining their first contract with LifePoint.”

UPHS administration says twelve weeks of contract negotiations have been productive and forward-looking. The hospital says the proposed contract terms that form the basis of the tentative agreement are competitive, fair and respectful.

“We are confident that this is a mutually agreeable contract,” said Gar Atchison, chief executive officer of UPHS - Marquette, in a statement. “If ratified, both parties will have the tools needed to continue providing care in a way that maintains our high standards for quality and safety and prioritizes patient needs in a highly dynamic healthcare environment. Most importantly, finalizing a new contract will allow us to return our focus to building a strong culture of respect, appreciation and collaboration within our team.”

The MNA held an informational rally last fall to draw attention to its concerns about the U.P.’s largest hospital. When the nurses’ contract expired in Oct. 2017, they went on strike for 48 hours.