Nurses at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo are wanting a better contract offer and more staff. They held a rally outside the Kalamazoo hospital on Saturday after their last contract expired. Part-time nurse and Michigan Nurses Association member Dana Dekoekkoek says the elimination of family or medical leave for part-time nurses is a big concern along with cuts to retirement benefits and requiring nurses to work every other weekend. The hospital says they have been negotiating for the last two months and say the contract offer raises pay for RNs by 19-percent the first year and includes raises the next two years. Ascension Borgess has 400 nurses compared to 600 before the COVID-19 pandemic.
