GRAND HAVEN, Mich. (WOOD) — A judge has ordered Trinity Health to recognize the union SEIU Healthcare Michigan and resume bargaining, the union said.
On Monday, the union said that an administrative law judge found that Trinity Health “breached sections of the National Labor Relations Act through multiple actions carried out during and after contract negotiations with SEIU Healthcare Michigan.”
The judge ordered Trinity Health to recognize the ruling and return to the bargaining table, reimburse the union for dues it should have collected when it was not being recognized, reverse disciplinary actions taken against employees — including for an August 2023 strike — and post notices notifying employees of their rights and acknowledging Trinity’s unlawful actions. It must also give the union access to employee areas, bulletin boards and communication platforms as well as submit regular reports on the status of the negotiations.
“This is a victory for workers, but we deserve better. Our community deserves a hospital that invests in its patient care and its workers. We deserve a hospital that listens to and respects us as employees. We should never have to fight this hard against our employer to see our basic rights respected. It’s time for Trinity to make things right by ending (its) union-busting campaign and getting back to the table to negotiate a fair contract. Let’s put our patients and our community first,” Brandy Glynn, a respiratory therapist at Trinity Grand Haven Hospital, said in a release.