Aspirus Ironwood Hospital nurses will vote this Wednesday, November 5 to authorize a strike after contract negotiations stalled on October 29. Nurses, represented by the Michigan Nurses Association (MNA), have been negotiating since May 6, citing the hospital’s refusal to address key issues, including competitive wages needed to recruit and retain staff for safe patient care. No further bargaining dates are set. The vote grants the bargaining team the power to call a strike if necessary, but does not guarantee it. Nurses unanimously rejected Aspirus’s October 15 contract. Aspirus plans to close the OB unit by years-end, which nurses say will force women to travel farther for deliveries, despite state funding to support it.