skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, September 16, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Survey: Only 53% of high school students think voting is important; FBI investigates apparent assassination attempt of Trump in FL; NV advocates ready for Tuesday's National Voter Registration Day; Plastics production highlighted during Pollution Prevention Week.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A suspect is in custody following a possible second Trump assassination attempt, a bipartisan House group pledges to certify the 2024 election results no matter who wins, and election officials warn postal problems could mean uncounted votes.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural voters weigh competing visions about agriculture's future ahead of the Presidential election, counties where economic growth has lagged in rural America are booming post-pandemic, and farmers get financial help to protect their land's natural habitat.

MI Medicine unions fight for better pay, staffing

play audio
Play

Monday, August 5, 2024   

Two labor unions are fighting for their first collective bargaining agreements with the University of Michigan's Michigan Medicine.

Workers held an informational picket outside University Hospital last week, to protest what they say is U of M's ongoing refusal to agree to what they call fair contracts that would address issues of understaffing and low pay.

United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals, and Service Employees International Union, represent about seven thousand workers in the state.

Kate Robbins is a physical therapist and the treasurer of United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals local.

"When COVID hit, a lot of people retired from medicine," said Robbins. "And so, we are asked to do more with less, and it's starting to really burn out all of the employees in the hospital."

University of Michigan Health responded in a statement saying, in part, they "look forward to continuing collaborative discussions with union members and employee groups working in a shared goal to provide the best care possible for their patients."

Over the past 18 months, the two unions have emerged to represent diverse Michigan Medicine workers - including rehab, behavioral health, respiratory therapists, and more.

Robbins stressed that despite many members living just above the poverty line, their struggle is not only for fair wages and better staffing, but also for the well-being of the community.

"Our purpose is to take care of people," said Robbins. "And if we can't take care of people and we can't take care of ourselves, then it does a disservice to everybody who's involved in medicine and involved in the U of M community."

Robbins said she's hopeful that hospital management will respond to the informational picket by accelerating the pace of negotiations and finding more common ground.

Their aim is to have the contract dispute resolved by early this fall.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Urban districts and districts with the greatest proportions of economically disadvantaged and Black students have more novice teachers. (Reese/peopleimages.com/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Educators in Michigan and nationwide are voicing concerns politics are demoralizing teachers and discouraging others from entering the profession at a…


Social Issues

play sound

Just a few months after some South Dakota absentee ballots were illegally challenged, officials are concerned slow mail delivery could affect …

Social Issues

play sound

About 53% of high school students think voting is important, according to a survey out today from the nonprofit Youth Truth. Researchers polled 115,0…


A healthy, safe and secure working environment is one of five top issues teachers in Texas say they're concerned about. (WavebreakMediaMicro/Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Teachers nationwide say safety issues and politics can sometimes make it harder for them to do their jobs. A safe and secure workplace is one of 10 …

Environment

play sound

Following the torture of a wolf by a Wyoming man, a state panel is seeking a bill to protect the killing of predators with vehicles, but Federal …

One year of nuclear weapons spending could fund an estimated one-third of the costs for climate change adaptation in developing countries, and solarize more than 16.5 million homes. (Hamara/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

A Knoxville-based environmental group is raising awareness about increasing U.S. nuclear weapons spending and supporting this week's global effort to …

Social Issues

play sound

National Voter Registration Day is tomorrow, and voting-rights advocates in Nevada want to ensure everyone is set to make their voice heard in …

play sound

The University of Maine is helping to train the next generation of skilled aquaculture workers. Designs for a new $10 million Sustainable …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021