RNs win significant pay raises and benefits; continue to pledge support for techs and service and support workers still in negotiations

Muskegon, MI — SEIU nurses are celebrating a contract victory with Trinity Health which will provide relief to the staffing crisis at Mercy Health. The contract includes average pay increases of over 20% during the 4-year contract, a lump-sum bonus that will be as much as $7,000 to more than $11,000 for most nurses, and a retention bonus of up to $10,000. SEIU nurse leaders say that combination of raises and bonuses while maintaining benefits will help recruit and retain nurses in Muskegon. 

“This contract will provide relief to the staffing crisis and rebuild the foundation of Mercy as a respected community hospital that provides the highest quality care for its patients. We have sacrificed and put our lives on the line during this global pandemic – we demand to be respected, protected, and paid. We won this strong contract because of the determination, resilience, and resolve of our union nurses. We refuse to back down from our demands, and we were rewarded for staying united in our struggle. Ultimately, this is about providing the best care for our patients and we can only do that when the hospital is adequately staffed. Now we will stand in solidarity with our union techs and support workers who continue to fight for their contract,” said Laura Krzykwa, Registered Nurse and SEIU Bargaining Team Leader at Mercy Health Muskegon. 

SEIU represents 1,800 workers at the Hospital including, PCA’s, ER techs, lab techs, RN’s, housekeepers, dietary workers, and more. Negotiations will continue for the other two bargaining units which represent over 1,000 workers at Mercy Health Muskegon.