SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) — Nearly 10,000 Corewell Health nurses across Southeast Michigan have voted to unionize, joining the Teamsters.
After campaigning for more than a year to make the move, some 9,600 registered nurses finalized the vote Friday, Nov. 15.
Michigan Teamsters Joint Council 43 called it a victory, saying this will give them both fair compensation and recognition.
They say the nearly billion-dollar annual profit by Corewell Health is due to the nurses working excessive overtime and dealing with unreasonable nurse-to-patient ratios.
“Despite Corewell waging one of the most expensive and aggressive union-busting campaigns we’ve ever seen, these nurses knew their value and were determined to become Teamsters,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a press release. “Corewell nurses chose the Teamsters because they knew it was the only way to secure a strong union contract. This organizing win is exactly what we mean when we say we are building the biggest, fastest, and strongest Teamsters Union.”
In a statement released Friday Evening, Corewell officials said the results of the vote are not yet certified.
“We value all our nurses and are committed to moving forward together, united by our mission to provide high-quality care to our patients and the communities we serve,” the Corewell statement said.