Frequently Asked Questions

• Who are the members of PECSH?
  • All the professional employees (4 year degree or more) and all the registered nurses employed in the Sparrow Hospital System are.
    
• Who make up the executive team?
  • The executive team is made up of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Representative at Large, Grievance Chairperson, and Negotiating Chairperson.
    
• How do we elect officers?
  • Executive Officers with the exception of the Negotiating Chair will be elected every two (2) years to serve for a two (2) year term or until their successors have been elected. Any due paying member can run for office.
    
• How do you pick the contract negotiating team?
  • The members of the Negotiating Committee will be elected 6-9 months prior to expiration of current agreement. The Negotiating Committee will elect a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson by secret ballot within 30 days of the committees first meeting.
    
• What does the Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) do for PECSH?
  • The MNA represents PECSH at the state level and is the largest nurses union in the state of Michigan. The MNA promotes the economic and general welfare of nurses in the workplace, fosters high standards of nursing practice and lobbies the legislative and regulatory agencies on health care issues affecting nurses and recipients of nursing services. MNA is a constituent member of the United American Nurses, as well as an affiliate of the AFL-CIO.
    
• When would I need union representation while at work?
  • As a member of PECSH you have a right to have union representation with any meeting you have with your management team per Article 4 of the contract agreement.
    
• What is the Grievance process?
  • The grievance process is a formal process where there is a complaint or request by an employee or manger for interpretation of the contract agreement. When mutually agreed upon, certain types of grievances can be handled through joint problem solving in place of the traditional grievance procedure. If the parties engage in joint problem solving but do not resolve the issue, a grievance on the issuemay be filed within a reasonable period, not to exceed 14 calendar days after the conclusion of joint problem solving, which will be heard at the appropriate step (per Article 18). This can be done with or without a PECSH representative but we strongly recommend PECSH representation.
    
• Are union organizational activates allowed in the hospital?
  • The National Labor Relations Board has stated that nurses have a right to engage in union solicitation during their free time while at work, provided that such activities are conducted in non-patient care areas.
    
• Can we be forced to go on strike?
  • No one can force a bargaining unit to strike. Only unit members themselves can make such a decision. Experience has shown that nurses who have chosen to strike have done so as a last resort.