Henry Ford Genesys announces pay raises for nurses as Teamsters remain on strike
Henry Ford Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc, Michigan, says it will provide wage increases as hundreds of nurses and staff represented by Teamsters Local 332 of Flint remain on strike.
The Genesee County hospital made that announcement Wednesday, saying it will "begin implementing proposals offered during contract negotiations." Those details include wage increases of up to 8.6%, a benefits package, and "agreed upon staffing ratios from previous contracts."
The most recent contract expired in June.
Representatives from the Genesys hospital and Teamsters leaders have been negotiating since April. State and federal mediators have been involved.
The Teamsters strike began Sept. 1 with nearly 750 nurses and case workers participating, with an indefinite timeline.
The union said at the time it issued the strike notice after 93% of its members rejected a contract offer. The disputes included nurse-to-patient ratio and premium pay details, the union said.
"The 750 nurses and case managers will be on the strike line until Henry Ford Genesys Hospital stops stalling and offers Teamsters the contract they deserve," the union local said on social media Tuesday.
"Unfortunately, there has been no meaningful movement on core issues like staffing ratios, benefits, and premium pay despite the Teamsters' indefinite strike, and the hospital believes the parties' discussions have reached an impasse," the hospital said Wednesday.
"This does not mean negotiations are over. This simply means that after an extensive effort, the hospital believes there is no reasonable prospect of reaching a mutually acceptable agreement in the near term — and continuing to bargain without movement risks compromising the hospital's stability and broader labor strategy. Hospital leaders will still continue to meet with the Teamsters in hopes of reaching a mutually agreed-upon contract."
The publicly released details are what the hospital said is the majority of the proposals it has made during the contract negotiations with Teamsters Local 332. With the wage increases, the hospital said the pay scale at Genesys will be aligned with other Henry Ford Health sites. The facility became part of the Henry Ford Health system in October 2024.
Genesys said on average, registered nurses will see a 5.3% increase during their first year; there will also be annual wage increases and eligibility for overtime and holiday pay. As this pay and benefits package settles in, 60% of nurses at Genesys will have a base pay rate of more than $100,000 a year. Michigan's average registered nurse salary is about $90,500.
About 40 registered nurses have recently declined job offers at Genesys because of the pay specified in the prior contract, the hospital said. Administrators say they plan to "re-extend those offers at the new, more competitive pay rates."
In August, Henry Ford Genesys reached a contract agreement with a separate group of about 370 support services staff represented by American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 3518.
The hospital has remained open despite the labor dispute.
Specifically, Henry Ford Genesys was the primary hospital providing care for victims in the aftermath of the Sept. 28 fatal shooting and fire at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on McClandish Road.
The Teamsters union said some of the strikers set down their picket signs and offered to help. That being said, strikers were not allowed to work at the hospital that day because of the work stoppage.