A Michigan nurses' union announced on Monday that nurses at Michigan Medicine, the medical arm of the University of Michigan, have voted to authorize a three-day strike "to protest ongoing and continuous violations of their workplace rights."
The union has yet to set a date for the strike, which will go ahead "if University officials fail to remedy their ongoing unfair labor practices," the union said in a statement.
The University of Michigan Professional Nurses Council represents 5,700 nurses at U-M hospitals and other health care facilities. More than 4,000 people voted last week with 94 percent voting in favor of a strike.
Katie Oppenheim, who chairs the union, said in a statement that a strike is not the union's goal.
"Our goal is a fair agreement which respects nurses and guarantees safe staffing. The university can remedy this situation immediately, by stopping their unfair labor practices and bargaining in good faith."
There are three main complaints that union members have, according to the statement. Nurses believe that U-M is failing to negotiate in good faith, is changing shifts without notifying or negotiating with the union and is discriminating against union members. The union has also filed several unfair labor practice charges against the university with Michigan's Employment Relations Commission.
Michigan Medicine was not immediately available for comment.
