Omar Abdel Baqui

Detroit Free Press

A nurses' union that authorized a strike earlier this month has reached a tentative deal with Michigan Medicine, the medical arm of the University of Michigan, according to a joint announcement Saturday.

The University of Michigan Professional Nurses Council, which voted to approve a strike on Sept. 17, now has plans for a three-year contract agreement with Michigan Medicine.

Details of the agreement will be discussed at upcoming union meetings, and nurses will decide whether to approve the deal through a ratification vote "in the coming weeks," according to the news release.

More than 94 percent of the 4,000 union members had approved plans for a three-day work stoppage, citing claims of U-M's failure to negotiate in good faith, discrimination against union members and shift changes with no notification as basis for its strike approval. Saturday's agreement was reached before a strike occurred.

"Our bargaining team is recommending this agreement because it will allow nurses to continue to provide world-class care," said Katie Oppenheim, chair of the Michigan Nurses Association, in the news release. "We are proud of our nurses and their ongoing dedication to patients."

Mary Masson, a Michigan Medicine spokeswoman, had previously said that the organization would take legal action, as it's illegal for public employees to strike. Also, Michigan Medicine had been preparing plans to hire and train temporary nurses in case of a strike, as the "most critically ill patients in the state come to Michigan medicine."

Dr. David Spahlinger, president of the University of Michigan Health System and executive vice dean for clinical affairs of the U-M Medical School, said in Saturday's news release that they're pleased to have reached the tentative agreement.

“Reaching a resolution is the best possible outcome for our hospital employees, our patients and our community,” he said

Related:

Nurses confront University of Michigan leaders as strike looms

Nurses file lawsuit against U-M health system in midst of strike vote

The University of Michigan Professional Nurses Council represents 5,700 nurses at U-M hospitals and other health care facilities.

Free Press reporter Marc Daalder contributed. Contact reporter Omar Abdel-Baqui: 313-222-2514 or oabdel-baqui@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @omarabdelb