ROCHESTER, Mich. (WXYZ) — Nurses from Henry Ford Rochester Hospital will be on strike starting Monday at 7 a.m. as contract negotiations continue to stall over staffing ratios.
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"No one wins in a strike. We want to safely serve our patients and that's why we're doing this," said Dina Carlisle, president of OPEIU Local 40.
Carlisle, who has been a nurse for 29 years, represents more than 350 registered nurses at the hospital.
The union is demanding better nurse-to-patient ratios be included in their contract.
"This local stands for safe staffing. I'm very proud to represent nurses who care so much about serving their community," Carlisle said.
The union wants mandated staffing minimums written into their contract, which is still under negotiation.
"We have nothing in our contract specifically that guarantees staffing minimums. So at this time, the hospital is the sole determiner of the staffing ratio," said Danielle Drouillard, vice president of OPEIU Local 40.
Drouillard argues that without contractual requirements, the hospital isn't being held accountable for maintaining appropriate staffing levels.
"There are other professional nursing standards that the hospital says they're following but if there's nothing holding them to that standard, I can speak from my leadership position, they do not audit it and they do not track it so we can't figure out if they're following them or not," Drouillard said.
Henry Ford Rochester Hospital maintains they staff based on patient volumes and other factors, stating that mandated ratios would hinder their ability to adapt to varying patient conditions.
The hospital has arranged for outside agency staff during the strike and assured the community they will remain open.
In a statement, hospital officials said:
Henry Ford Rochester Hospital will remain open to the community. We have a plan in place to ensure the highest standard of care and safety for our patients and team members. We believe strongly that the offer we’ve made to our nurses is a fair, competitive, and thoughtful investment in our future together.
Consistent with our commitment to nurses across our health system, our offer includes competitive wages and benefits, while ensuring safe staffing and a sustainable financial future for our hospital.
We remain grateful for our talented nurses and the care and compassion they bring to our patients and our organization every day, and we are steadfast in our commitment to a culture that values their unique, professional expertise. We look forward to welcoming those who have chosen to strike back to work.
For Drouillard, she says she wants what's best for her patients.
"I love being a nurse. I didn't become a nurse to go on strike," Drouillard said.
The strike is scheduled to run from Monday through Friday, June 13.
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