In Detroit, thousands of nurses have filed a $340 million lawsuit against six area hospitals alleging that, by discussing what they paid nurses, the hospitals conspired to suppress registered nurses' wages. This, in turn, contributed to nursing shortages in the area. An attorney representing the nurses said that on average, they were underpaid by $5,000 per year. The suit has been filed against the Henry Ford Health System, Detroit Medical Center (DMC), McLaren Health Care, Oakwood Healthcare, Bon Secours/Cottage Health Services and St. John Health Partners. Mike Duggan, CEO of the DMC, expressed surprise that the nurses were displeased with their wages, since they received a 6 percent pay increase this year.
For details on the allegations:
- check out this Detroit Free Press article