Michigan Medicine employees deserve a fair contract

July 17, 2024

Becky Woodell
| The Detroit News

When we think of healthcare, we probably think of the doctors and nurses who keep us healthy. But when we delve into how and who makes our care possible, we often lose sight of the essential team around them.

The calm face that takes your blood draw. The voice on the other end of the line that schedules your appointment and guides you through the complicated world of health insurance. The respiratory therapists who assess and treat your breathing problems. The friendly patient care provider who checks your vital signs and makes sure you are comfortable.

Each of these people can completely change a patient’s experience. When we’re understaffed, our absence is felt. Anyone who has ever had to schedule a doctor’s appointment, deal with health insurance, or wait for test results knows how that can feel. My colleagues and I are here to make sure every aspect of your care goes smoothly so you get the answers you need.

In 2020, at the height of COVID-19, University of Michigan Medicine’s retirement plans, salary increases, and other financial benefits stopped for all of us. Several other positions, particularly in the outpatient and surgical settings, were furloughed, severely impacting the quality of care provided to our patients and the well-being of our staff.

The pandemic also exposed the disparities among healthcare workers at Michigan Medicine. Unionized and non-unionized workers received different treatment in benefits, pay raises and working conditions.

Human resources told my non-union colleagues and me that we were “lucky to have a job,” while our union colleagues were protected during the pandemic and received a raise.

We are ready for the same protections. That’s why last year, nearly 2,600 of my colleagues and I formed a union with the help of SEIU Healthcare Michigan (HCMI). We are proud to have won union recognition.

We know the University of Michigan has recovered financially, and we know our worth. UM’s senior leadership, who initially took pay cuts during COVID-19, have now received raises equal to their pre-pay cut salaries and more. We are here to share in that prosperity, and that’s why we’re demanding a fair contract at the bargaining table.

In June, we presented signatures to the UM Board of Regents for a collective bargaining agreement. Now, as we enter the height of negotiations, all we ask is to be treated like the essential workers we are. We want to provide the best care possible to the patients who enter our facilities, often on their most anxious day. When we can earn a living wage and provide for our own families, we are able to provide even better support to those who need us most.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Union Members Summary, median weekly earnings for union members were about $200 higher than median weekly earnings for nonunion workers in 2023. People are more likely to stay in positions that meet (or exceed) their economic needs. This means we can retain good employees, creating better outcomes for everyone in the system.

Michigan Medicine is one of our nation’s largest teaching hospitals and prides itself on providing exemplary care. As we continue to negotiate, we hope the university will focus on the employees who make Michigan Medicine the respected medical institution that it is. We took these jobs to provide the best care possible.

With a good contract, we can do the same for ourselves and our loved ones.

Becky Woodell is a respiratory therapist at the University of Michigan Medicine and a member of SEIU Healthcare Michigan.