Workers at UP Health System Marquette Win 1st Union Contract

After months of bargaining, approximately 260 USW health care workers at UP Health System– Marquette in Marquette, Mich., ratified their first contract in early January, winning historic wage increases, boosting on-call pay, securing much-needed safety protections, and more.

Peggy Lindeman, a point of care coordinator at UPHS Marquette for 21 years, began talking to her colleagues about organizing in 2023 after noticing a steady decline in workplace culture, morale, and patient care following the hospital’s acquisition by Duke LifePoint in 2014.  

Lindeman began organizing the professional and technical workers of the hospital, a unit she was excluded from that was ultimately organized by the Michigan nurses’ union. She called the USW for support as she started organizing her second bargaining unit of LPNs, Care Aides, lab assistants, payroll, IT, maintenance, office staff, and more.

According to Lindeman, the hospital “is always training us to care for specific types of patients, but nobody was taking care of us. That was huge for me, finally getting our union and making sure that somebody had our back.”

Lindeman says many of her colleagues are rightfully excited about the wage increases, but their first contract represents much more to her.

“I’ve been here for 21 years, and to not have a voice or a say in how we drove process to get quality was huge,” she said. “We finally have a seat at the table for safety issues, which is also huge. With the union, we’re equals. They’re no longer the boss, and we’re down below. We’re equals, and that means something.”

Additional contract highlights include a wage scale that recognizes seniority and provides guaranteed wage increases, capped annual health insurance premiums, shift differential, and a seat on the hospital’s Safety Committee. Average wage increases for year one of the contract are approximately 13.5 percent, and average increases over the life of the contract are roughly 20 percent.

Negotiations were led by USW District 1 staff representative Bryan Fisher and were supported by Tamara Lefcowitz, International Coordinator of the Health Care Workers Council.

The victory held additional significance for Fisher, as he was helping to change the lives of the dedicated health care workers in his own backyard.

“UPHS Marquette is five blocks from my house,” said Fisher. “It’s the only Level 2 trauma center in the UP of Michigan. Our goal was always to attract and retain the best employees for Marquette residents. If I get taken to this hospital, these workers will care for me. I want a team of talented, fully-trained, well-compensated medical professionals administering care to our community.”