Union News

Nurse staffing shortages come to Michigan hospitals – with a twist

By Mark Gruenberg PAI Staff Writer

  • 23 April 2018

MT. CLEMENS, Mich. (PAI)—If you’re a registered nurse and your union contract with two hospitals includes safe-staffing ratios, what do you do if the hospitals break those pact provisions?

The answer from Office and Professional Employees Local 40, which represents 1,000 nurses at two hospitals in the upscale Detroit suburb of Mount Clemens, Mich., is you hammer at the issue in bargaining sessions, file labor law-breaking complaints with the National Labor Relations Board – and raise hell in public.

Which is what the local did, convening a Town Hall meeting in Mount Clemens on the evening of April 19 to tell the community what’s going on, and take questions, Local President Jeff Morawski said in a pre-meeting telephone interview.

Safe staffing is a nationwide problem, as insurers lean on hospitals to cut costs by cutting down the number of nurses available per shift. The firms’ tactic is to deny reimbursements for claims, arguing they’re paying too much for too many people. One result is doctors’ short visits with patients.

Today is Equal Pay Day

  • 1 April 2018
Today is Equal Pay Day, bringing awareness to the fact that women still earn an average of 80 cents on the dollar for the same work. Unions are our best hope to close the unfair pay gap. Support equal pay for equal work!

Union workers stand up to Northwestern Mutual over job security concerns

  • 13 March 2018
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Some Northwestern Mutual employees are standing up to the company.

On Tuesday, union members handed out fliers outlining their concerns over job security.

Some workers say the company is trying to outsource their jobs and employ temporary agency workers. According to members of OPEIU Local 35, around 1,000 professional clerical and maintenance employees have been with working without a contract this month.

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Millennials, white-collar workers bringing new life to unions

  • 12 March 2018

The ranks of organized labor have been shrinking for decades, and an upcoming Supreme Court decision involving the ability of public-sector unions to collect fees from nonmembers is expected to further sap the movement of much-needed funds.

But signs of life are flashing in unexpected places.

Working People's Day of Action

  • 16 February 2018

On February 26, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Janus v. AFSCME, a case funded by wealthy interests to further rig the system against working people. Join OPEIU on February 24 for the Working People’s Day of Action. OPEIU sisters and brothers will join thousands of working people and our allies across the country to demand an end to the rigged system and defend our freedoms. Join us. #UnRigtheSystem



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About Us

​The Office and Professional Employees International Union was chartered in 1945 and​, with more than ​90,000 members, we’re one of the larger unions of the AFL-CIO. OPEIU has locals ​throughout the United States and Canada.

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