Unionization Effort
at Pine Rest

Follow the link below to fill out a COMPLETELY confidential union activation card
Use your personal email when filling out this form. DO NOT use your work email.
Make sure the address for Pine Rest is correct:
300 68th St SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49548


Nothing will change unless WE change it.

Are you tired of having to grovel for raises through the PRIDE Ladder for what is effectively a cost of living raise, when nearly all other employers give scheduled, automatic raises? Sick of leadership's empty promises about solving ongoing problems? Frustrated by new employees potentially earning more than seasoned staff members with starting rate increases that don't apply to dedicated staff? Discouraged by a laughably poor health insurance plan that you can barely afford to use due to sky-high deductibles and stagnant wages. How about getting sick due to a work-related exposure and then having to use your PTO as sick days? (The State of Michigan recently passed a law to guarantee more sick days, and Pine Rest is already finding a way around it.) Tired of inadequate retirement benefits? And how about hearing about the company’s "financial issues" while they simultaneously build a new hospital? Do you feel the burden of working understaffed because leadership refuses to make wages an attractive incentive for both new hires and current employees, and refuses to cap admissions to keep staff and patients safe and prevent burnout? Nothing ever happens. Over the years we have watched our benefits get worse and our wages remain stagnant.

The same can not be said for leadership, we have attached the 2019 and 2021 form 990 tax returns for Pine Rest which highlight the ability of the company to give appropriate cost of living raises to leadership and physicians, while we keep the facility open and get the crumbs (if we do the Ladder). This information is made available to the public every year and can be found on many open information sites including the IRS. Click the link and scroll to the section that discloses the salaries for the top 20 reimbursed individuals at the company, with a large portion of them earning half a million dollars per year: https://apps.irs.gov/app/eos/details/

With talk of a union afoot, leadership is already trying to tame worker's grievances and throw out a hail mary at the final hour. Their recent email "Communication about Staffing" is a direct response to the circulating QR code for union authorization cards. Their offer for small reforms is far too little, and far too late. We are, however, happy to read their line about how they "believe in shared governance." We do, too. And to leadership, we'd like to say, we look forward to meeting with you at the bargaining table. We'd also like to reiterate to all management, supervisors, and leadership that is is illegal to inquire about who is organizing this effort and who is pro-unionization. We'd advise that you no longer do so, as it can come off as potentially retaliatory.


WE make this workplace great, despite leadership's failings. Imagine if WE had the power to change things.

Despite leadership's consistent neglect of our health, safety, and well being, we—the staff on the floor, look out for each other. We keep each other safe, we pick up the slack when leadership short-staffs us, we lend a hand to lighten a coworker's workload—preventing burnout for our fellow workers on a tough day. Think about the hardest shift you've worked—several codes, constant deescalation, endless tasks and disgruntled patients. On a tough shift, a solid team makes all the difference. We make this a great workplace for each other, despite leadership's failings. Now imagine if we applied that same camaraderie that we cultivate on the floor to the policies that affect our well being. We could have higher pay, more staff on the floor when acuity is high, better healthcare, good benefits, better schedules, and adequate paid time off to rest and recharge for the work that we love.


Organized worker power is unstoppable.

A union makes this possible. And Teamsters is here to stand with us. With a union, we will have the power necessary to demand what we deserve from the company that we keep running smoothly. When we can collectively bargain with leadership, they have no choice but to honor our demands for better conditions and real change. We know what’s best for ourselves, our patients, our coworkers, and our families. And once we're organized, we can make our wishes for this place a reality.


Union Myth-Busting

Now let's dispel some myths about unions. Leadership and management will do their best to convince you of these myths. They're all laughable, but you can't fault them for trying anything when they have a lot to lose.

Union Dues
"You don't want to have to pay union dues. That's money coming out of your paycheck!"
 
The reality is, unionized workers earn 11.2% more on average. Union dues are negligible, at between 1-3% of total pay. You will earn far more with a union, even after accounting for union dues. And the union won’t take a penny of your money until negotiations are concluded, voted on by the members, and contracts are signed. Signing the union authorization card is simply an indication that you want a chance to negotiate for better wages, benefits, and workplace safety—it doesn’t mean you agree to pay dues.

The "Hassle"
"You don't want to deal with the hassle of a union. There's so much red tape. Negotiations can take a long time. Why not just talk to management individually about your concerns?"

Individual requests of management do not work. Our power is in our numbers. Sure, management might let you voice your grievances so that you feel heard, but they won't actually make changes that would improve your well being if it means cutting into their profits. We've seen it with the "Great Place to Work" Initiative--an expensive campaign that resulted in very few changes, and the recent PRIDE Ladder Town Hall. I have never heard a single positive comment from an employee about the Ladder. Yet the most leadership is willing to offer is tiny reforms.

With a union, our labor power is united into one powerful negotiating body. We, the people who keep this place running, get to sit across the table from leadership and make our demands. No more groveling, no more grin and bear it.  With a union, we negotiate with leadership as equals.


Lack of Support for a Union
"Well sure, I would love it if we were unionized! But it'll never happen here. There's just not enough support for it."

I've heard this argument from a handful of coworkers. The reality is, I haven't spoken to a single coworker who hasn't agreed that their life would be better with a union. Support for unions is strong in Michigan, with a long history of unionized industries and strong worker power in the state. Many hospital systems on the East side of the state are unionized, and Corewell Health in Grand Rapids just won a union. The momentum is in our favor. There's no reason to be discouraged by a hypothetical lack of support. If you want a union at your workplace, give your support. There's no risk in doing so, especially given that union authorization cards are completely confidential.


How We Make it Happen

Currently, there is a lot of conversation about unionization efforts among hospital staff and many of us share similar frustrations. Here's how you can support the effort. 

Above is a QR code specific to this effort. Scan it to access the union authorization card. Be sure to fill it out correctly, with the proper physical address highlighted above, and it will be sent directly and confidentially to Teamsters Local #406, who is assisting us with this campaign. This is the same union that is currently organizing nurses at Corwell on Michigan Street.

Once approximately 30% of employees have signed and submitted their authorization cards, Mike Lumley will contact the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election, allowing us to decide whether we want to be represented by a union instead of the current leadership. Union workers make more money and have better benefits than nonunion workers, it is that simple. You will see and hear a lot of misinformation about unions from leadership and management once this information is shared across campus. It is not happenstance; hospital leadership does not want this to happen, and they will spread propaganda to scare uninformed employees. Talk to your coworkers, but do it off the clock and outside of work.

Together, we can make a real change. Let's stand united for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.


Still unsure if a union is the right move?
 Don't just take our word for it! Take a look at infographic below that lays out how labor unions improve health and well being by nearly every metric imaginable. There were just too many to include on the poster, so check out the sources at the bottom of the infographic for more information.




Why Join Local 406?

Being a Teamster member means that you belong to the strongest and most democratic labor union in the world. For more than 100 years the Teamsters Union has been a leader in setting the standard for higher wages, better benefits and improved working conditions for workers throughout the United States and Canada.

Teamsters Local 406 is a labor union, representing working men and woman in 55 counties in Michigan. We have offices in Grand Rapids, Saginaw, Traverse City, and Escanaba.

Union members have a voice in determining what they want in terms of wages, hours and working conditions. Contract negotiations are at the core of labor movement. They occur when workers join together to negotiate issues with their employer. The end result is a contract that spells out, in great detail, all of the terms both parties agree to, from wages and benefits to a grievance procedure, job security and time off.

Union members generally elect a bargaining team made up of a few of their coworkers to join expert negotiators from their local union in negotiations with management. Once the bargaining team reaches a tentative agreement with the employer, they present the proposal to their coworkers for a vote. This is called the ratification process. The contract only goes into effect if a majority of the membership approves the tentative agreement.

Contract specifics will vary from one worksite, or employer, to the next, but generally include provisions on:

Wages, hours and benefits; Health and safety; Non-discrimination; Contract length; Discipline; Seniority; Union security; Grievance procedures and arbitration.

Remember, in non-union worksites, management alone dictates the terms and conditions of employment.  No discussion.  No negotiation.  No employee input. Decisions are simply made without regard to the employees who must bear the consequences.  

A union empowers workers to make decisions which impact their lives and jobs. Here, at General Teamsters Local Union No. 406, we are proud of our record of standing up and fighting for fairness and dignity for the membership.

It is illegal for the management/leadership of Pine Rest to do any of the following:

  1. Threatening employees with loss of jobs or benefits if they join or vote for a union or engage in protected concerted activity.
  2. Questioning employees about their union sympathies or activities in circumstances that tend to interfere with, restrain or coerce employees in the exercise of their rights under the Act.
  3. Promising benefits to employees to discourage their union support.
  4. Transferring, laying off, terminating, assigning employees more difficult work tasks, or otherwise punishing employees because they engaged in union or protected concerted activity.
  5. Transferring, laying off, terminating, assigning employees more difficult work tasks, or otherwise punishing employees because they filed unfair labor practice charges or participated in an investigation conducted by NLRB.