Nurses with Corewell Health in Southeast Michigan are voting this week on whether to unionize.
The 9,600 nurses work at Corewell’s Beaumont hospitals, of which there are several. Voting will take place through Thursday as the nurses consider joining the Teamsters. Supporters of the plan say they want better healthcare and a better nurse-to-patient ratio, among other things.
But how will this affect Corewell services and nurses in Southwest Michigan? The answer is that it won’t.
Corewell Health has sent us a statement, saying, “The vote occurring this week only involves nurses at Corewell Health East in Southeast Michigan. Corewell Health South nurses are not represented by the Brotherhood of Teamsters.”
Corewell in Southeast Michigan says it respects unions and the right of workers to unionize, but it believes its nurses don’t want to unionize. It says the company believes its ability “to provide high quality care to our patients and maintain a positive work environment is best achieved through a direct working relationship with our nurses.”