Photo via Teamsters Local 2024DETROIT—After little over a year of bargaining with Corewell Health East, 10,000 registered nurses represented by Teamsters Local 2024 have finally reached a tentative agreement for their first contract. The tentative agreement also comes with “strong grievance procedures, caps on out-of-pocket healthcare premiums, a staffing committee, department level autonomy, and protections on benefits,” said the Teamsters bargaining committee. Lead negotiator and trustee of Local 2024 Mike Smith said Corewell’s actions are “forcing Teamsters nurses to exhaust their accrued paid time off before allowing them to use unpaid leave for negotiation dates.” If approved, the tentative agreement could set the tone for the rest of the healthcare industry in Michigan. Recently, University of Michigan nurses at Ann Arbor avoided a strike when an agreement was reached and approved by the membership.