Nurses Update Community on Fight for Patient Safety and Improved Outcomes at McLaren Flint

FLINT – Today, McLaren Flint nurses updated the community about our ongoing fight for safe staffing levels for the patients and families under our care.

“Our highest priority is ensuring our patients have the best care and the best health outcomes,” said Kelly Indish, RN and president of AFSCME Local 875. “We cannot do that if McLaren Flint executives refuse to offer a fair contract that nurses and this community deserves.”

Negotiations between union nurses and hospital management for a new contract have been ongoing since January, and bargaining sessions are scheduled to continue into next week. The nurses of Local 875 are standing strong for the benefits and wages that we need to attract and retain safe staffing levels at McLaren Flint.

Nurses at McLaren Flint are raising the alarm to improve patient safety. “Nurses never quit on our patients. They’re our neighbors, our friends and our family. The work we do is personal for us,” said Caron Bryant, RN. “We fight for every single patient at the bedside, and we’ll go on strike for them too if management forces us to.”

“The high-paid executives at McLaren continue to mislead and distract from the priorities that matter to families in Flint, and that is making sure every patient gets the highest level of care,” Jason Russo, CRNA, added in response to yesterday’s statement from hospital management. “They can try to divide us and bust the union all they want. We know who we’re here for: the patients and families right here in Flint, not shareholders.”

Yesterday, AFSCME Local 875 issued a 10-day strike notice to McLaren Flint after 96% of union members voted to authorize a strike. The union’s bargaining team continues to negotiate in good faith in hopes of reaching a fair agreement with the hospital before the deadline of 7:00 a.m. on October 20.