Henry Ford Health said Teamster leaders who joined the 750 union nurses on strike are more focused on \u201cpushing their national agenda\u201d than prioritizing the healthcare needs of the community in Grand Blanc, Michigan. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Henry Ford Genesys Hospital said in a statement<\/a> Thursday that its agenda \u201cis, and always will be, supporting and recognizing our nurses’ unique, professional expertise and providing the high-quality comprehensive health care the people of Genesee County deserve.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Why It Matters\u00a0<\/p>\n Nurses who are part of Teamster Local 332 have been on strike for more than a month over demands for safe and improved working conditions amid contract negotiations. Wednesday was the last negotiation session between the parties. <\/strong><\/p>\n Henry Ford Health said its proposed contract is not much different from previous versions. \u00a0<\/p>\n In a recent statement, the health system said it’s been negotiating in good faith with Teamsters leaders since April, meeting with them nearly 60 times.\u00a0<\/p>\n What To Know\u00a0<\/p>\n Teamster General President Sean O\u2019Brien and General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman joined the strike on Thursday.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cHenry Ford Genesys hit a new low by forcing 750 Teamsters out on strike,\u201d O\u2019Brien said in a statement. \u201cThese nurses and caseworkers are asking for nothing more than respect and safe staffing. But hospital management has spent its time undermining them rather than negotiating a first contract. Our members will not let them get away with padding their pockets by punishing patients and abandoning this community. Henry Ford Teamsters will win, no matter how long it takes.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n A spokesperson for Henry Ford Health told Newsweek that O’Brien made it clear when he visited the picket line yesterday that the union is “using Henry Ford Genesys Hospital and the Genesee County community to advance the union\u2019s national agenda.”<\/p>\n “Our goal is to reach a contract that values and supports nurses and ensures the safe, high-quality care our patients and community deserve,” the spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement. “We will not agree to the Teamsters\u2019 demands around premium pay, attendance and our ability to staff our hospital.”<\/p>\n Teamsters Local 332 has operated out of Flint, Michigan, since 1933.\u00a0The union contract negotiations with the hospital in the spring, ahead of the contract expiration date this summer. The strike began on September 1 after 93 percent of the Teamster nurses and case workers voted to reject Henry Ford Health\u2019s contract offer on August 21. \u00a0<\/p>\n On the day the strike was announced, Henry Ford Genesys Hospital Interim President Gwen Sandefur said it was \u201cunfortunate\u201d that the nurses’ union chose to take this \u201cextreme step.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cNevertheless, we can assure everyone that the hospital will continue to provide the same exceptional care our patients expect and deserve,\u201d she said in a statement<\/a>. \u201cWe also want to thank the nurses who plan to continue providing patient care during the work stoppage despite their union\u2019s call to strike, as well as our other team members who will undoubtedly rise to these challenging times.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n In a Facebook post<\/a> on the day of the strike, the union said it would remain on strike until it can reach an agreement that guarantees safe nurse-to-patient ratios, fair wages, better working conditions and compliance with federal labor laws. \u00a0<\/p>\n The union also said<\/a> it is rallying against a lack of transparency on health insurance and a refusal to work collaboratively, claiming Henry Ford Health \u201chas shown no interest in a true partnership with the union and tried to strip nurses of their voice in the bargaining process.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Henry Ford Health took over Genesys Hospital in October 2024. Since the strike began, the health system has kept a running list of disputed claims<\/a> from the nurses on strike. \u00a0<\/p>\n The health system is firing back on claims of union busting and refuting claims that the hospital reported an income of $294.2 million last year, claiming it ended 2024 \u201c$53 million in the hole\u201d and blaming Teamsters\u2019 policies for helping dig that hole long before Henry Ford took over the hospital.\u00a0<\/p>\n Henry Ford Health said the contract it is offering includes the same staff-to-patient ratios as the previous contract and claims the Teamsters are \u201cholding out for the ability to earn premium pay by manipulating staffing levels.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n In a statement to Newsweek, the hospital said the Teamsters are continuing to demand policies that have “historically led to rampant absenteeism at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital.” <\/strong><\/p>\n On average, the hospital said 25 Teamsters members called off each day at Henry Ford Genesys Hospital, the equivalent of an entire unit of staff.<\/p>\n According to Henry Ford Health, there was a clause in the Teamsters contract that expired in August 2025 that tied union members\u2019 pay to the number of nurses working on a unit each day. The health system said hospital data suggests this incentivized coordinated call-offs, where Teamsters take turns calling off scheduled shifts so that those who show up can get premium pay. <\/p>\n “This is not in the best interest of patients or other team members,” a spokesperson for the hospital told Newsweek. “This is one of the aspects of the contract that we have been negotiating. Teamsters members called off 5,872 times between Jan. 1 and Aug. 18, 2025.”<\/p>\n The health system said its proposed contract includes \u201ca robust and competitive compensation package that includes overtime and benefits,” including age increases between 3 and 8.6 percent. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re committed to safe nurse staffing models that provide the best quality of care for our patients and our communities,\u201d the health system said in response to nurses\u2019 demands. \u201cWe schedule staff based on multiple factors, including recognized industry standards and patient volumes, but to maintain ideal nurse-to-patient ratios, people need to come to work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The hospital said that under the previous expired contract, union members could be absent eight times in 12 months before receiving a written warning and 16 times in 12 months before being terminated. <\/p>\n “This does not encourage consistent attendance and is not in the best interest of patients or other team members,” the health system said, noting a nearly 23 percent increase in nurses calling off work year to year.<\/p>\n Henry Ford Health also pushes back at the nurses\u2019 claim that the contract won\u2019t help recruit nurses, stating<\/a> that the proposed contract would pay nurses who are earlier in their career up to $4 more per hour. \u00a0<\/p>\n The health system notes<\/a> that the average annual salary for a nurse in Michigan is $90,580. Under the contract, Genesys Hospital is proposing 60 percent of nurses\u00a0would make more than $100,000 per year, not including holiday or overtime pay. \u00a0<\/p>\n The hospital remains open and fully staffed with contract nurses hired to fill in for the nurses on strike, offering all nurses the opportunity to work during the demonstration. \u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cHenry Ford Genesys Hospital is experiencing its highest levels of patient satisfaction in decades thanks to the hundreds of team members who are working together to create a safe, positive, healing environment for our patients and each other,\u201d the hospital said in a statement<\/a> on October 10. \u201cWe\u2019re grateful to the nurses who have chosen to resign from the union and return to work as well as those who are applying to posted RN positions.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n What Happens Next\u00a0<\/p>\n Two more contract negotiations between the parties are set for next week. Henry Ford Genesys Hospital said its representatives are scheduled to meet with Teamsters negotiators on Tuesday and Wednesday.<\/p>\n What People Are Saying\u00a0<\/p>\n Twenty-seven Michigan officials signed a letter in support of the nurses in their strike against Henry Ford Genesys Hospital. The letter said nurses are \u201cthe backbone of our healthcare system\u201d and that their voices must be heard, \u201cespecially when they speak out for conditions that affect not only their own safety and well-being, but also the quality of care provided to patients.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe urge hospital leadership to return to the bargaining table and engage in productive negotiations that recognize the dignity and professionalism of nurses,\u201d the letter stated. \u201cA fair contract is not just a labor issue, it is a public health imperative.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Newsweek reached out to Teamsters Local 332 for comment.<\/p>\n Updated 10\/24\/2025 at 6:41 p.m.: This story has been updated with comments and more details about the negotiations from Henry Ford Health. The headline has been updated for clarity. <\/p>\n