Aspirus Health Makes Strong, Fair Contract Proposal to Nurses’ Union at Ironwood Hospita

IRONWOOD, MI, October 10, 2025 – Today, Aspirus Ironwood Hospital leaders delivered a package proposal to the Michigan Nurses Association (MNA) bargaining committee.

“This is a strong and fair proposal that satisfies our threefold commitment – to patients, to all our valuable employees, and to the communities we serve,” said Natalie Seaber, Aspirus Michigan Region President. “This proposal provides a flexible and market competitive compensation package with an immediate 7.1% increase. We are investing in our people so we can retain our current staff members and recruit new talent. This will help us continue to offer high-quality care in the U.P. despite the many barriers negatively affecting rural health care across the country.”

Highlights of the proposal include:

• Moving all RNs to the Aspirus system compensation wage range, which is more flexible and market competitive than the traditional “step schedule,” and advances registered nurses (RNs) to market midpoint more quickly. This will improve recruitment and retention efforts.
  
  • This amounts to a 7.1% wage increase in the first year for the RN group.
  • The MNA’s last wage proposal would increase wages by 6.19%.
• A guaranteed wage increase across the board for RNs in years two and three of the contract which aligns with the latest proposal from the MNA.
• Increases in “Call Pay” (when nurses get called in for an unscheduled shift) from $2.70 per hour to $4.50 per hour and continued pay of time and one-half for hours worked.
• An increase in the evening “Shift Differential” rate from $2.85 per hour to $3.00 per hour for hours worked between 11 pm and 7 am.

There are certain MNA proposals to which Aspirus simply cannot agree, including a requirement that all Ironwood RNs become members of the MNA and pay the union’s periodic dues.

“We cannot support a mandatory membership proposal because we believe employees should have the right to make that decision on their own. As always, we will continue to treat employees with dignity and respect whether they choose to join the union or not,” said Seaber.

The proposal is not a Tentative Agreement, but it will be presented to the union membership of RNs for a vote on October 15, 2025.

Aspirus believes in and acts on a philosophy that all employees across its system should receive fair, market-rate compensation, ensuring uniformity and financial stability for the organization.

“Aspirus Health has and always will negotiate in good faith across the bargaining table. We appreciate our employees’ and the community’s patience throughout the bargaining process and hope to come to agreement soon,” Seaber said.  

About Aspirus Health

Aspirus Health is a nonprofit, community-directed health system based in Wausau, Wisconsin, serving northeastern Minnesota, northern and central Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan with the mission to heal people, promote health and strengthen communities. The health system operates 18 hospitals and 130 outpatient locations with nearly 14,000 team members, including 1,300 employed physicians and advanced practice clinicians.

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