10,000 TEAMSTERS NURSES AT COREWELL HEALTH EAST AUTHORIZE A STRIKE

RNs at Michigan's Largest Health Care System Ready to Strike for First Contract

WASHINGTON, March 17, 2026  /PRNewswire/ -- Registered nurses at Corewell Health East, represented by Teamsters Local 2024, have voted by nearly 90 percent to authorize a strike. The 10,000 nurses across nine hospitals and campuses throughout southeastern Michigan have been fighting for their first union contract since June 2025.

Nurses are demanding safe nurse-to-patient ratios, fair wages, affordable health insurance, and improved workplace safety.

"This overwhelming strike vote shows that nurses are done being bullied into silence while executives put profits over patients and gamble with our safety and our licenses," said Rachel Szadyr, a cardiac ICU nurse and member of the bargaining committee. "It's no secret that nurses everywhere are struggling. We keep losing incredible nurses because of a rigged system that lets so‑called nonprofit hospitals pile more responsibility onto nurses, while stripping away the resources we need to provide safe care. This isn't sustainable and it's exactly why we are fighting for the best possible contract."

In November 2024, Corewell nurses beat back an aggressive $1.7 million union-busting campaign by voting three-to-one to join the Teamsters. In the 16 months since organizing, Corewell management has continued to attack nurses and violate labor law by withholding several economic opportunities that were given to nonunion employees, eliminating pull pay, and terminating their student loan repayment program.

"The clock is ticking for Corewell Health East to offer Teamsters nurses the contract they deserve — or 10,000 nurses will take this fight to the streets," said Tom Erickson, lead negotiator and Teamsters Central Region International Vice President. "This greedy corporate hospital system spent millions to try to stop these nurses from becoming Teamsters and now they are hemorrhaging even more money on anti-union attorneys who want to keep workers from getting the best possible contract. This strike vote should make it crystal clear to Corewell — we aren't backing down and if they continue to keep this charade up, nurses are united and ready to take power into their own hands."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:
Maura Drumm, (215) 510-3735
[email protected]

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SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters