Traverse City, Mich.-based Munson Medical Center nurses have ratified a new three-year labor contract that includes AI guardrails.
The provisions establish a contractual definition of AI and create a formal channel for nurses to flag concerns about new technology deployments.
“At the base of it, it was just introducing language into our contract — defining what AI is and really giving us contractual language that allows us to speak with the medical center about our concerns when these new tools are introduced,” bargaining team member Megan Slater, a registered nurse, told Spectrum News.
The deal, which the Traverse City Munson Nurses Association approved June 9-10 by a 93% margin, also includes 5% annual raises and maintains health insurance and employer retirement contributions.
“We are committed to ensuring nurses have clear and ongoing pathways to raise and escalate concerns related to AI,” Munson Healthcare Chief Communications Officer Megan Brown told Becker’s. “As we introduce new technologies, we will provide the training, communication, and support needed to ensure thoughtful and effective implementation.”
Nursing unions have increasingly sought AI protections to ensure they have a voice in the technology’s deployment at health systems.
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