KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – Nurses working at Ascension Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo and Ascension Borgess Allegan Hospital are concerned they won’t have jobs after Beacon Health System takes over ownership.
A document they have received says that the “employment of all Ascension Southwest Michigan associates and clinicians and associates of related medical practices will directly transition to Beacon Health System as long as you meet the Beacon Health System requirements.”
The issue with that is Beacon has not shared those employment requirements or the required steps.
Lori Batzloff is a nurse at the hospital in Kalamazoo and the president of the Michigan Nurses Association local bargaining unit and calls it “ridiculous” that nurses who have served people for decades need to worry about their job security.
She adds it’s not fair to make them guess about their employment “or jump through unknown hoops to keep working.”
Nearly 250 contracted workers at Ascension Borgess hospitals will be laid off July 1 due to the ownership change.
In addition to the lack of guarantees about employment, Kalamazoo nurses are also upset that people with retirement health care accounts who do not yet have those vested will lose future access to them. They have filed a grievance about that.
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