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Questions & Answers

About Forming Our Union at Corewell

  • A union is simply a group of co-workers who unite together to have the strongest voice. Without a union, employers have all the decision-making power over our jobs. When workers form a union, we are empowered to sit down – alongside healthcare industry experts from SEIU – with management to negotiate a legally binding contract that includes improvements in our wages, benefits, staffing and working conditions. Hospital workers can’t make any meaningful changes when we’re isolated and alone, but there’s strength in numbers. Forming a union is the only way we get a legally protected seat at the table and a real voice in the decisions that impact us.

  • SEIU is the largest healthcare union in the U.S. and represents 2 million total members. The members of SEIU have won the highest standards for hospital workers in the country, including:

    • Major guaranteed yearly raises.

    • A fair, transparent payscale that rewards years of experience.

    • Market competitive wages.

    • Elimination of wage caps.

    • Affordable healthcare and caps on premium increases.

    • Better staffing levels.

    • Retirement with dignity.

    • More paid time off.

    • Scheduling improvements.

    • Clear job definition and protections against working out of job class.

    • Protections against layoffs and bans on subcontracting.

    • A fair disciplinary process with union representation and a neutral arbitrator to make final decisions.

    • Protections against bad bosses and unfair treatment.

    • A real voice in staffing and our jobs.

    • Average wage increases of more than 23% over three years, with the majority getting greater than 26%.

    • Many employees got significant additional raises for their prior experience.

    • A fair, transparent payscale with 25 steps and no wage caps.

    • Improvements in scheduling, attendance policy, holidays, and paid bereavement.

    • Secure health insurance costs.

    • Protections for retirement plan, PTO, paid parental leave, and extended sick bank.

    • A fair process for solving problems on the job with union representation and a neutral arbitrator to make final decisions.

    • Committees to address concerns around staffing and workplace policies.

  • Michigan Map_092426.png

    SEIU Healthcare MI is the largest healthcare union in the state, with over 50,000 hospital workers and caregivers united for quality jobs and quality patient care for our communities. Members of SEIU Healthcare Michigan work at 23 hospitals across the state, including U of M Hospitals. SEIU members have been able to win the highest standards for their wages, benefits and working conditions. All the major decisions in SEIU Healthcare MI are made democratically by members, for members, including electing leaders and voting on whether to approve contracts. Their national union, SEIU, is the largest and most effective healthcare union in America and represents 2 million total members.

  • It’s all about power. Without a union, executives in the boardroom – rather than the frontline healthcare staff doing the work – have all the decision-making power over our jobs and how they spend their massive profits. Executives don’t want to share decision-making power and resources with us, so they try to spread fear, misinformation, futility and division to stop us from forming our union. But we need to stay strong, united and informed. Once we form our union, we can build a productive relationship with management based on open communication and mutual respect.

    1. We build majority support on union cards – sign yours today.
       

    2. We deliver our union cards to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to schedule our election.
       

    3. We make sure every union vote gets in the ballot box.
       

    4. When the majority of voters vote yes, we win our union, and Corewell is required by federal law to negotiate with us.
       

    5. We fill out surveys to set our contract negotiating goals and make sure everyone’s voice is heard.
       

    6. We elect our contract negotiating team, with representation from all areas, shifts and job titles.
       

    7. Our negotiating team presents our proposals, supported by experts from our union. Negotiations are open to everyone, and all members are encouraged to participate.
       

    8. We advocate to make sure we win a strong contract that includes major improvements in our wages, benefits, staffing and working conditions.
       

    9. We all get to vote on our contract.
       

    10. Once our contract is approved, it is a legally-binding document that management is required by law to follow.
       

    11. We choose our coworkers to be our trained union delegates to help enforce our contract, represent us and solve problems on the job.

  • Dues are how union members pool their resources together to win better wages, benefits, staffing and working conditions. Corewell has billions of dollars, so as frontline workers, we need our own resources to advocate for the improvements that matter to us. We would not pay any dues until we vote to approve a contract, and no one would approve a contract that costs them money. In SEIU Healthcare MI, dues are 1.75% of regular wages excluding overtime. There is a cap of $61 a month for those working over 30 hours a week, and $33.50 a month for those working less than 30 hours a week. Dues were set by union members through a statewide vote.

  • Many of the decisions that impact hospital workers, our families, our patients and our communities are made in state and federal government. There are many other ways to advocate for job improvements before calling a strike, including rallies, building support from elected leaders and community members, and speaking out in the press. It is absolutely critical for hospital workers to have a strong voice in government — not just healthcare executives — because we are the ones with the medical expertise who actually make our hospitals run. However, unions are prohibited from spending any dues dollars on political elections, so many members contribute to a voluntary fund that helps elect pro-healthcare worker candidates.

  • Forming a union is your right protected by federal law.

     

    • You have the right to: express your support for a union; attend union meetings; talk to a union organizer; and talk to your coworkers about forming a union.

     

    • It is illegal for your employer to: ask your opinion about the union or if you’re involved; harass, intimidate, discipline, spy on or discriminate against you for union activity; or tell you to stop engaging in union activity.

     

    If you feel that management is violating your rights, contact us.

  • Strikes are a powerful tool for workers and are also very rare in the healthcare industry. They are always a last resort because there are many other ways to advocate for job improvements before a strike is necessary, including rallies, building support from elected leaders and community members, and speaking out in the press. When hospital workers feel that executives have left them no other choice but to strike, they make that decision democratically through a vote. If hospital workers vote to go on strike, they always give management at least 10 days’ notice to ensure patient safety.

  • No, the union is US, the workers at Corewell, along with healthcare workers throughout Michigan. Once we form our union, we would decide what our proposals are for negotiations, we would vote on our contract, and we would select coworkers to represent us on the job. SEIU Healthcare MI is a union of, by and for members. The strength of our union comes from the active participation of everyone. 

  • Yes of course. Once we form our union, we could still speak with management directly whenever we want. However, speaking alone cannot create the improvements we urgently need in our wages, benefits, staffing and working conditions. So in addition to individual communication, union members speak together and negotiate a written contract in order to have the strongest voice. Members of SEIU have been able to build relationships with hospital administrators and managers based on open communication, mutual respect and cooperation to achieve shared goals.

Have other questions? Contact us here.
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