GRAND BLANC -- A labor contract dispute between a local hospital and a Teamsters Union heats up, and a strike may be eminent.
Genesys Hospital and the Teamsters Local 332, which represents a couple hundred technical employees were supposed to meet Thursday to continue hashing out a labor contract that expired in March.
That ended abruptly when Genesys walked into the board room at the Wingate Hotel in Grand Blanc, and handed the union a final offer.
After seven months and 33 bargaining sessions, negotiations have ended between Union employees with Teamsters Local 332, and Genesys Hospital in Grand Blanc.
"My feelings right now is that I would recommend a strike at Genesys," said Nina Bugbee, the President of Teamsters Union 332.
The hospital says the final offer was a result of the Teamsters “slow progress and lack of commitment to work diligently to find viable alternatives that will preserve jobs." The union says that's not true.
"We asked them to stay through the mediator, and continue to bargain, they refused, they walked out," said Bugbee.
The Teamsters president says the final offer includes a minimal pension plan and a reduction in hospital personnel.
"All you would have to do is talk to some of the workers there to know what a miserable state the hospital is in, and I am very concerned about the care in this community right now," said Bugbee.
But the hospital says patient care will not be jeopardized and their offer is fair and competitive in today's economy.
"Nearly 300 employees at Genesys Hospital will be affected by the final contract, but the president of the Teamsters says their morale has already taken a nosedive.
"The hospital all along has been threatening the workers with a contingency plan to replace them," said Bugbee.
The Teamsters president says Genesys' negotiations with their technical workers have only been a dress rehearsal for upcoming contract negotiations in 2012 which involves more than a thousand nurses.
"This is a smokescreen and this has been staged all the way through, this is a game that they have been playing," said Bugbee.
Teamsters Local 332 will review the contract on Monday. If a strike is planned, the hospital will be given a ten day notice.
In a press release issued to NBC 25 Thursday, Genesys says there is no plan to lock out Teamsters Technical employees.
When Cindy Ficorelli, a spokesperson for Geneyss was asked what the next step for the hospital is, she said no more information is being released at this time.
The Teamsters Local 332 is planning an informational picket out front of Genesys Medical Center on Tuesday from 3:30 until 6 p.m.
