LANSING — Physicians assistants and other advanced practitioners at University of Michigan Health−Sparrow have voted to form a new bargaining unit, the Michigan Nurses Association said.
The new union local includes 213 nurse practitioners, physician assistants and certified nurse midwives employed by UM Health-Sparrow Lansing (including the Thoracic Cardiovascular Institute), UM Health-Sparrow Eaton and UM Health-Sparrow Ionia, the nurses union said.
About 86% of the workers who voted on Jan. 14 and Jan. 16 voted in favor of unionizing, the MNA said.
“We are excited to have a meaningful voice in the decisions that affect us and our patients,” Jennifer Alexander, an urgent care nurse practitioner, said in MNA’s Jan. 19 news release. “Sparrow advanced practice providers are being forced to do more with less, which can compromise the safety and quality of the care we provide. Being part of a strong union means having the power to negotiate over patient care practices and other priorities.”
UM Health-Sparrow issued a brief statement on Jan. 20.
“We respect the rights of our Advanced Practice Providers to bargain collectively and look forward to working with them in the future for the betterment of our patients and community,” John Foren, a spokesman for the health care network, said in the statement.
Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on X @KBPalm_lsj
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Physician assistants, others at UM Health-Sparrow form new union local
Reporting by Ken Palmer, Lansing State Journal / Lansing State Journal
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