Three hundred ninety registered nurses and 55 radiology technicians at Henry Ford Rochester (Mich.) Hospital have ratified new labor agreements with Detroit-based Henry Ford Health.
Here are six things to know:
1. Members of Office and Professional Employees International Union Local 40 voted Dec. 17-18 to approve the contracts, which include a two-year term for nurses and a three-year term for radiology technicians, according to a Dec. 19 health system news release.
2. The agreements provide competitive pay consistent with rates across Henry Ford Health, as well as work rules designed to support patient care and staff satisfaction, the release said.
3. The radiology technicians’ contract includes pay raises of 6% to 15%, along with guaranteed wage increases and incentives throughout the three-year term, according to an OPEIU Local 40 news release shared with Becker’s. The registered nurses’ contract includes an average 11% pay raise in the first year, staffing committee language and health and safety protections.
“OPEIU Local 40 nurses have stood united through three years and four months of bargaining on our successor contract,” Danielle Drouillard, RN, vice president of OPEIU Local 40, said in the release. “Our nurses, radiology technologists, and allies are celebrating significant wins that will directly enhance patient care and improve working conditions for healthcare professionals.”
4. The agreements mark a milestone for the hospital, where nurses had worked without a contract for three years. Their previous contract expired while the hospital was operated by Ascension Michigan, according to the health system release.
5. Henry Ford Health began operating the Rochester hospital in October 2024 through a joint venture with Ascension Michigan. Union and hospital leaders began negotiations shortly after the transition.
6. Nurse union members held a strike June 9-14; it was believed to be the first strike in the health system’s 110-year history.
Editor’s note: This story was updated at 1:14 p.m. Central time on Dec. 22.
