Click the questions below to see the answers. If you have questions about union representation, ask here.
Yes. Unions will paint a rosy picture when they try to organize an employer. They won’t tell you inconvenient facts like that they can’t guarantee the promises they are making or they may require you to pay union dues or fees to keep your job. We hope you look to us as a resource. We can help makes sure you have all of the facts about unions and what having a union would really be like at our hospital. We are committed to giving you accurate and complete information so that you each can make up your mind. And unlike unions, we will not – and legally cannot – make promises about what will, or won’t, happen after a union organizing drive.
No. If there were to be an NLRB election to unionize, your decision is not determined by any past promises, pledges, signatures or actions. You are free to vote any way you wish, no matter what someone may tell you. Even if you signed a card, or told someone you would vote for the union, you can still vote against the union. The vote is by secret ballot. Your name won’t be on the ballot and you don’t sign it. Put simply: no one will know how you vote – unless you tell them
If our hospital becomes unionized, representatives from our hospital would be required to meet with the union and discuss proposals in good faith in an attempt to reach a contract agreement. But the law does not require Corewell Health to agree to any union proposals or demands. It is important to understand that the law does not set a deadline for reaching a contract. It also does not require that a contract ever be reached. If the parties cannot come to an agreement, then the negotiations can continue or either party can resort to its “economic leverage.” In the case of a union, that means calling a strike.
It is our hope that we would not ever have to experience a strike. But any employee in Michigan who goes out on an economic strike:
- Does not get paid by their employer for as long as the strike lasts
- Does not get to collect unemployment benefits
- Could have to pay for all their insurance premium costs out of pocket
- Can be permanently replaced as permitted by law.
No. If a union wins an NLRB election, there are no individual opt outs. The union will represent all team members in the bargaining unit as a group, regardless of how an individual team member voted. You will be covered by whatever terms the union negotiates. Right-to-Work has also been repealed in Michigan, as discussed below.
Yes. Because Michigan is no longer a Right-to-Work state, a union can legally negotiate a clause into the contract that requires team members to pay fees or dues to the union, and if they don’t pay the dues/fees, the employer can be required under the contract to fire the employee.
The amount of union dues varies based on the union. The Teamsters charge monthly dues equal to 2.5 times an employee’s regular hourly rate. That means union dues for a nurse earning $40/hour are $100/month. That adds up quickly. Over a typical three-year labor contract, the nurse would pay the union $3,600 in union dues.
No and no. Union dues are paid post-tax, unlike many other payroll deductions. They are also not tax deductible as business expenses.
No. That’s wrong. You have the same rights to express your opinions and to campaign as the team members who support the union. At Corewell Health, we always hope our team members will speak up and have their voices heard on important topics like this. Even if you are not involved in the organizing activity, you have a stake in in the outcome. The results will impact you and your work life for a long time. Don’t be intimidated. You can speak up.
We hope all team members are respectful of their coworkers’ opinions, but it is important that your opinion is known to the extent you want it to be. Even if it may seem as though you are alone at first, there likely will be others in the group who agree with you.
No. Union supporters will not be given favorable treatment over those who vote to keep the union out, and vice versa. If a union is elected, wages and job assignments will be determined by a negotiated contract, if and when an agreement is reached.
Yes. Union organizers can make promises and purported “guarantees” to team members during organizing drives, but they do not have the power to fulfill these promises or deliver their guarantees without the agreement of the company in negotiations. Corewell Health and its managers are prohibited by law from making promises and guarantees during union organizing drives, even though the union can. Think of union organizers like political candidates. They make many promises that voters want to hear in order to get elected all the while knowing that they may not be able to fulfill them once elected. If they win the election, they only win the right to sit at a table and negotiate (i.e., to ask) for things that they want. Remember, the law says the company can say no to any demand. Their promises don’t automatically become true once the election is over.
Yes. You have the right to speak out against the union if you do not want it to represent you. You have a right, today, to speak out against whatever you feel is unjust or will have a negative impact on you or your co-workers. If you feel that being forced into a union agreement is unjust, you have the right to act now. Just as those supporting unionization have the ability to advocate for it, you have the power to defend your right to continue to represent yourself. You have the same right to express your beliefs as those who support the union, and you should take advantage of them.
No. Sometimes union organizers will say “just give us a chance” or imply you can vote the union in on a “trial basis.” That’s not accurate. Decertifying a union from a workplace is not easy. It can be a lot harder to get rid of a union than it is to vote one in.
Team members would be required to stick with the union for at least one year, or even as long as 3 years, depending upon whether a union contract is reached and the duration of any negotiated contract A typical 3-year contract freezes union members into the union for at least those 3 years. It is important for team members to understand the longevity of a union and its contracts so that they do not vote the union in on a whim.
Yes. Unions will paint a rosy picture when they try to organize an employer. They won’t tell you inconvenient facts like that they can’t guarantee the promises they are making or they may require you to pay union dues or fees to keep your job. We hope you look to us as a resource. We can help makes sure you have all of the facts about unions and what having a union would really be like at our hospital. We are committed to giving you accurate and complete information so that you each can make up your mind. And unlike unions, we will not – and legally cannot – make promises about what will, or won’t, happen after a union organizing drive.
No. If there were to be an NLRB election to unionize, your decision is not determined by any past promises, pledges, signatures or actions. You are free to vote any way you wish, no matter what someone may tell you. Even if you signed a card, or told someone you would vote for the union, you can still vote against the union. The vote is by secret ballot. Your name won’t be on the ballot and you don’t sign it. Put simply: no one will know how you vote – unless you tell them
If our hospital becomes unionized, representatives from our hospital would be required to meet with the union and discuss proposals in good faith in an attempt to reach a contract agreement. But the law does not require Corewell Health to agree to any union proposals or demands. It is important to understand that the law does not set a deadline for reaching a contract. It also does not require that a contract ever be reached. If the parties cannot come to an agreement, then the negotiations can continue or either party can resort to its “economic weapons.” In the case of a union, that means calling a strike.
It is our hope that we would not ever have to experience a strike. But any employee in Michigan who goes out on an economic strike:
- Does not get paid by their employer for as long as the strike lasts
- Does not get to collect unemployment benefits
- Could have to pay for all their insurance premium costs out of pocket
- Can be permanently replaced as permitted by law.
No. If a union wins an NLRB election, there are no individual opt outs. The union will represent all team members in the bargaining unit as a group, regardless of how an individual team member voted. You will be covered by whatever terms the union negotiates. Right-to-Work has also been repealed in Michigan, as discussed below.
Yes. Because Michigan is no longer a Right-to-Work state, a union can legally negotiate a clause into the contract that requires team members to pay fees or dues to the union, and if they don’t pay the dues/fees, the employer can be required under the contract to fire the employee.
The amount of union dues varies based on the union. The Teamsters charge monthly dues equal to 2.5 times an employee’s regular hourly rate. That means union dues for a nurse earning $40/hour are $100/month. That adds up quickly. Over a typical three-year labor contract, the nurse would pay the union $3,600 in union dues.
No and no. Union dues are paid post-tax, unlike many other payroll deductions. They are also not tax deductible as business expenses.
No. That’s wrong. You have the same rights to express your opinions and to campaign as the team members who support the union. At Corewell Health, we always hope our team members will speak up and have their voices heard on important topics like this. Even if you are not involved in the organizing activity, you have a stake in in the outcome. The results will impact you and your work life for a long time. Don’t be intimidated. You can speak up.
We hope all team members are respectful of their coworkers’ opinions, but it is important that your opinion is known to the extent you want it to be. Even if it may seem as though you are alone at first, there likely will be others in the group who agree with you.
No. Union supporters will not be given favorable treatment over those who vote to keep the union out, and vice versa. If a union is elected, wages and job assignments will be determined by a negotiated contract, if and when an agreement is reached.
Yes. Union organizers can make promises and purported “guarantees” to team members during organizing drives, but they do not have the power to fulfill these promises or deliver their guarantees without the agreement of the company in negotiations. Corewell Health and its managers are prohibited by law from making promises and guarantees during union organizing drives, even though the union can. Think of union organizers like political candidates. They make many promises that voters want to hear in order to get elected all the while knowing that they may not be able to fulfill them once elected. If they win the election, they only win the right to sit at a table and negotiate (i.e., to ask) for things that they want. Remember, the law says the company can say no to any demand. Their promises don’t automatically become true once the election is over.
Yes. You have the right to speak out against the union if you do not want it to represent you. You have a right, today, to speak out against whatever you feel is unjust or will have a negative impact on you or your co-workers. If you feel that being forced into a union agreement is unjust, you have the right to act now. Just as those supporting unionization have the ability to advocate for it, you have the power to defend your right to continue to represent yourself. You have the same right to express your beliefs as those who support the union, and you should take advantage of them.
No. Sometimes union organizers will say “just give us a chance” or imply you can vote the union in on a “trial basis.” That’s not accurate. Decertifying a union from a workplace is not easy. It can be a lot harder to get rid of a union than it is to vote one in.
Team members would be required to stick with the union for at least one year, or even as long as 3 years, depending upon whether a union contract is reached and the duration of any negotiated contract A typical 3-year contract freezes union members into the union for at least those 3 years. It is important for team members to understand the longevity of a union and its contracts so that they do not vote the union in on a whim.