Corewell Health nurses vote to unionize with Brotherhood of Teamsters
FOX 2 - Nurses at largest health system in Michigan have voted to be represented by the Brotherhood of Teamsters, it was announced Friday.
Ballots from Corewell Health were counted in the National Labor Relations Board election, said a message sent out. The vote involved more than 9,600 nurses at nine different hospitals was one of the largest National Labor Board elections in 20 years.
"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," said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien. "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."
The portion of nurses working to unionize believe it will give them a voice and lead to better work conditions.
Corewell Health released a statement acknowledging the vote, said Mark Geary, Sr. Director of Communications.
This historic election of more than 9,600 nurses at nine different hospitals across Southeastern Michigan is one of the largest National Labor Relations Board elections in more than 20 years.
"Corewell Health nurses in Southeast Michigan voted to be represented by the Brotherhood of Teamsters for the purposes of collective bargaining. The results 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 efforts to unionize first began in October of 2023.
In September, the nurses filed with the National Labor Relations Board to call a vote to unionize prior to the vote held from November 12-14.
Sarah Johnson, a clinical nurse, Corewell Health Royal Oak, spoke to FOX 2 about the effort to unionize in late October.
"We had the merger happen with Spectrum Hospital on the west side of the state with Beaumont and it became Corewell Health," she said. "That was the moment when I knew that we had to do something.
"This was all about profits and we need to (go back) to patients over profits."
The new members now join more than 57,000 other Teamsters under the O’Brien-Zuckerman administration.
"Health care workers like Corewell Teamsters were praised as heroes during the COVID-19 pandemic, but their employer has had little to no appreciation for them since," said Peter Finn, Director of the Teamsters Public Services Division. "Nurses are tired of being disrespected, paid poverty wages, and denied access to the same high-quality care that they provide.
"While this was not an easy battle, Corewell nurses channeled what it really means to be a Teamster and fought back to ensure they got the strongest possible union representation. With this new unit at Corewell, the Teamsters Union will now represent nearly 50,000 essential health care workers across the country."