10/17/2025

IRONWOOD - Nurses at Aspirus Ironwood Hospital voted unanimously to reject a contract proposal from the health system after MNA nurses filed a federal labor charge last month to “force Aspirus back to the bargaining table” — a move Aspirus called “meritless.” Now, the MNA says nurses rejected Aspirus’s proposal, in part, because it eliminates the wage structure that rewards nurses’ experience and provides lower wages than the MNA proposal for nearly half the nurses.  According to the MNA, Aspirus’s proposal bases future wage increases on “market value” rather than a guaranteed percentage after this contract. Nurses say that it fails to deliver the competitive wages needed to attract and retain nurses at the hospital, which is essential to always staffing the hospital safely.  Nurses on the bargaining team also accused Aspirus of showing very little interest in saving the OB unit at Aspirus Ironwood or mitigating the effects of the closure, despite Michigan legislators offering state funding to save it.  Both sides are expected to return to the bargaining table a week from today on Oct. 24th.