Multiple locations in the Ann
Arbor area are now offering the
new COVID-19 bivalent booster
vaccine. The bivalent booster —
which was authorized by the Food
and Drug Administration at the
end of August — protects against
the original, BA.4 and BA.5 strands
of the highly contagious Omicron
variant.
The University Health Service
(UHS)
in
collaboration
with
Walgreens, is running pop-up
COVID-19 bivalent booster and
flu shot clinics for all University
of Michigan students, faculty
and staff. If available, individuals
should bring insurance cards, prior
vaccine records and photo IDs to
the clinics. The bivalent booster is
currently available to anyone age
18 and up and is free of charge.
Walgreens pop up clinics are
open from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. or
when supplies run out. Individuals
may find vaccines at the following
dates and locations:
Tuesday, September 13 – South
Quad Transformer Room (next to
the dining hall)
Thursday, September 15 – South
Quad Transformer Room (next to
the dining hall)
Monday, September 19 – Mosher
Jordan (Upper Blue Market area)
Wednesday,
September
21
– Mosher Jordan (Upper Blue
Market area)
UHS
also
offers
booster
vaccines by appointment, which
can be booked through the patient
portal or by phone at 734-764-
8320.
CVS
and
Walgreens
have
boosters available at their Ann
Arbor locations by appointment
only. Appointments must be made
online.
University spokesperson Kim
Broekhuizen told The Michigan
Daily
over
email
that
the
University does not currently plan
to require the bivalent booster.
Since early June, State Street
has been torn up between William
Street and North University Avenue.
Blockades seal off the area, leaving
only a few narrow pathways for
pedestrians
to
navigate
from
downtown Ann Arbor to campus.
The
construction
blockage
has
also cut off vehicular access and
taken away patio space from local
businesses.
Jim Saborio, the owner of Comet
Coffee, a local cafe nestled inside
Nickels Arcade, said as the creation
of social districts in Downtown Ann
Arbor transformed Main Street’s
culture over the past year, State
Street’s business rhythms were left
outdated.
“I feel like the two areas of town
are very, very different now,” Saborio
said. “There just seems (sic) to be
fewer people (visiting State Street)
than before. I feel like this summer in
particular, this area was quiet.”
In June as the construction
project responsible for closing down
most of State Street commenced.
This project, funded by the City
of Ann Arbor and the Downtown
Development Authority (DDA), is
part of the People-Friendly Streets
initiative and will convert State Street
into the City’s first curbless roadway.
City officials hope the project will
increase pedestrian safety, enhance
foot traffic and strengthen local
businesses, according to the project
website.
The project is broken into two
phases. The first and current phase
was anticipated to finish around
Labor Day. However, three months
into the construction, the finish line
is still out of sight. While the project
has run into sporadic incidents,
including a water main break in early
June, Robert Kellar, communication
specialist of Ann Arbor Public
Services
Administration,
said
the prolonged delay is due to a
miscommunication
with
the
contractor, and the construction will
continue for the rest of the calendar
year.
“The basic reason for the delay is
that the pace of the project did not
go as the contractor expected, Kellar
wrote in an email to The Michigan
Daily. “There wasn’t one thing that
caused it. The contractor’s schedule
has the road reopening on Oct. 7.
Work remains for the year, but they
will do that by occupying the parking
spaces.”
Maura Thomson, communications
manager for the DDA, said once
the construction is completed, the
curbless street will bring direct
benefits for State Street businesses.
“One of the keys of this curbless
design is it gives businesses the
flexibility to use the space in front
of their business,” Thomson said.
“(Curbless
design)
allows
for
much more flexibility for the event
organizer to arrange their tents, and
the visitors no longer have to deal
with the curbs or other trip hazards.”
AJ Davidson, president of Bivouac
and the State Street District business
association, said he is excited about
the prospect of the project but
recognizes the huge toll construction
has taken on businesses.
“I think that the improvements
will be overall good for the street, so
I’m excited for them to occur, and I
like the curbless design,” Davidson
said.
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INDEX
Vol. CXXXII, No. 92
©2022 The Michigan Daily
NEWS............................1
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
STATEMENT.............. . . . . . . . 6
M I C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
O P I N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9
S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 1
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michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wednesday, September 21, 2022
ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY ONE YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
IRENA LI
Daily Staff Reporter
Michigan Medicine has failed
to bargain in good faith with its
nurses, the University of Michigan
Professional
Nurse
Council
alleges.
With
the
union
and
the
University of Michigan at a
stalemate
after
six
months
of
negotiations,
6,200
MNA-
UMPNC nurses have worked
without a contract since the
previous one expired June 30. In
that time, the union has organized
rallies and created a community
petition to call attention to its
demands
for
safer
working
conditions for nurses.
The union’s demands include an
end to understaffing by way of safe
nurse workload ratios, fair wages,
and an end to mandatory overtime.
Unfair labor practice charges filed
against the University allege that
the administration has violated
state law by refusing to bargain
with the union over nurse-
to-patient staffing ratios and
retaliating against nurses who
engaged in union activity.
On Aug. 15, the MNA filed
a lawsuit with the Michigan
Court of Claims alleging that the
University’s refusal to bargain over
nurse workloads was a violation of
the Public Employment Relations
Act 336 of 1947. The lawsuit seeks
an injunction that would force the
University to negotiate staffing
ratios with the union.
In an interview with The
Michigan Daily, Renee Curtis,
UMPNC president and registered
nurse, said safer workload ratios are
the union’s most significant demand
because they ensure quality patient
care and a safe working environment
for nurses.
“The basis of our profession is
… the service that we provide for
our patients,” Curtis said. “When
we’re unable to provide care for our
patients due to understaffing due to
issues relative to workload, it causes
more trauma not only for the nurses,
but it puts patients at risk for adverse
events, and it creates poor patient
outcomes as a result of not being
able to have a registered nurse at the
bedside.”
Though the union views workload
ratios as a necessary component of
negotiations,
the
administration
of University of Michigan Health,
Michigan
Medicine’s
clinical
division, says otherwise. Michigan
Medicine
spokesperson
Mary
Masson wrote in an email to The
Daily
that
the
administration’s
stance is supported by state law.
“Under decisions of the Michigan
Employment Relations Commission
and Michigan appellate courts, the
determination of employee staffing
levels is a “non-mandatory” subject
of bargaining — something that a
public employer has no obligation to
bargain over — unless the staffing
requirements
are
inextricably
intertwined with the health and
safety of bargaining unit employees,”
Masson wrote.
Masson wrote that the proposal,
which the University believes is
“compelling and generous,” includes
a 21% base pay increase for nurses
over four years, a safe elimination
of mandatory overtime, a $4,000
bonus for members of the union’s
bargaining team and expanded
staffing guidelines.
On Sept. 2, 96% of the over 4,000
MNA-UMPNC
members
voted
in favor of a strike authorization,
which allows the union’s bargaining
unit to call for a work stoppage at
any time. Though state law does
not allow strikes by public sector
employees, a FAQ section on the
union’s website says nurses would
only engage in a work stoppage to
protest unfair labor practices, not
to call for higher wages or to change
the terms of their work.
A Sept. 2 UMPNC statement said
the bargaining team would only call
a work stoppage if they deemed it
“absolutely necessary.” Curtis said
a strike would be a last resort and
that the union just wants to openly
discuss workload demands in its
negotiations with the University.
“We do not have a shortage of
nurses willing to work, we have
a shortage of nurses willing to
work in the working conditions
of our hospitals,” Curtis said.
“We would like to do everything
possible to avert any type of work
stoppage, and we are prepared
and willing to meet at any point in
time and continue any discussions
necessary.”
When asked about a potential
strike, Masson wrote that the
hospital has extensive staffing
plans in place if the union were to
call for a work stoppage.
“Patients in our hospital can
expect our standard of care to
continue,” Masson wrote. “We are
concerned about future access,
but we have extensive plans in
place as we’ve been preparing
for the possibility of a strike
authorization.”
In an interview with The
Daily,
Anne
Jackson,
MNA-
UMPNC member and registered
nurse, said despite the union’s
size and 48-year tenure, the
administration was failing to
respect nurses’ basic rights.
“This is all about holding
the University accountable and
(making) sure that they follow
the law,” Jackson said. “We
believe that they have failed to
bargain in good faith. They’ve
made improper changes to our
working conditions … We believe
they’re undermining the largest
union on campus.”
The possibility of a work
stoppage in response to poor
working conditions is not unique
to nurses at Michigan Medicine.
On Sept. 12, 15,000 members
of
the
Minnesota
Nurses
Association went on strike to call
for safer staffing and improved
quality of care for patients.
MNA-UMPNC has signaled
support for Minnesota nurses,
writing in a tweet that going on
strike is not an easy decision to
make.
“It’s a heavy decision made
with care and yes, with grief,” the
tweet reads. “But also resolve, and
dedication, and a responsibility
to protect our patients and
our profession. Shame on the
administrators who push #nurses
to this point.”
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
Businesses lament loss of customer traffic amid
State Street construction
UMich finalizes settlement
with Anderson survivors
Bivalent booster shots now
available in Ann Arbor
KRISTINA ZHENG
Managing News Editor
MATTHEW SHANBOM
Daily Staff Reporter
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
A $490 million settlement between
the University of Michigan and
survivors of late U-M athletic doctor
Robert Anderson has been approved
and
finalized,
the
University
announced Friday evening.
The settlement — which was
first reached in January — required
approval from 98% of the claimants,
a benchmark which was recently
reached according to the Friday
press
release.
The
finalization
process lasted eight months and
was facilitated by Robert F. Riley, a
third-party mediator appointed by
U.S. District Court Judge Victoria A.
Roberts.
Division of the settlement funds
will be decided among claimants and
their attorneys, and the University
will not be involved in the process, the
release says.
Board of Regents Chair Paul Brown
apologized to survivors in the press
release, saying the University still has
work to do to combat misconduct on
campus.
“The University of Michigan
offers its heartfelt apology for
the abuse perpetrated by the late
Robert Anderson. We hope this
settlement helps the healing process
for survivors,” Brown wrote. “We
consider this settlement just one of
the steps we have taken in a process
we began more than two years ago
to fully understand what happened,
make amends and enact reforms.
Our work is not done until U-M is
considered the leader in creating a
campus environment that is safe for
everyone.”
In May 2020, the University hired
law firm WilmerHale to investigate
sexual misconduct allegations against
Anderson and released the report a
year later in 2021, finding “no doubt”
that Anderson engaged in decades-
long patterns of abuse and that the
University had known as early as
1975. Settlement negotiations began
in October 2020 and represented
over 1,000 survivors who have come
forward with allegations against
Anderson — possibly the largest
number of allegations against a single
person in U.S. history.
Anderson was employed by the
University from 1966 to 2003. During
this time, he was a team physician
and director of the University Health
Services. In 2008, Anderson died and
was never investigated or tried for his
crimes.
Survivors of Anderson have made
a noticeable impact on the campus
community in recent years. Jonathan
Vaughn,
an
Anderson
survivor
CHEN LYU
Daily Staff Reporter
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
‘Hail to the Victims’ leader wants University
apology for response
Sidewalk closure drives away consumers, hurts profits on popular corridor
MoJo to host vaccination sites, UHS,
pharmacies offer appointments
ADMINISTRATION
NEWS
ADMINISTRATION
Michigan Medicine nurses and supporters attend a picket for safer conditions and a fair contract organized by the University of Michigan Professional Nurse Council at Fuller Park in July.
What’s happening with nurses at
Michigan Medicine?
Union demands safe staffing, end to mandatory overtime
and former U-M football player,
spearheaded
multiple
protests
advocating for greater protection of
students and increased transparency
from the administration. For over
100 days, Vaughn camped outside
of
former
University
President
Mark Schlissel’s house in protest
of the University’s handling of
the allegations against Anderson.
His campsite was removed by the
University after 150 days of protest.
Though
the
University
has
issued an apology for Anderson’s
perpetuation
of
abuse,
Vaughn
released a statement Friday evening
saying that the administration has
yet to apologize for its own handling
of the allegations.
“This will never compensate the
pain and suffering we the survivors
have gone through,” Vaughn wrote.
“Regent Chair Paul W. Brown
apologized for Dr. Anderson, but not
for (the) University of Michigan’s role
in this atrocity.”
Vaughn added that seeing the
University being held accountable is
a step in the right direction, and that
he hopes all who have been affected
can begin a journey of healing.
“After being involved in this
fight for over 2 1/2 years University
of Michigan is finally formally
being held accountable for their
involvement,” Vaughn wrote. “I
hope this day can bring peace &
healing to all the survivors affected.
I am not John Doe. I am Jon
Vaughn!”
University
Interim
President
Mary Sue Coleman wrote in the
press release that the settlement is
another move towards securing the
safety of the campus community.
“This
settlement
allows
the
university
to
protect
future
generations of students and everyone
in
the
university
community,”
Coleman wrote. “It complements a
separate settlement reached earlier
this year that adds a Coordinated
Community Response Team to the
best practices now in place. We are
committed to a safe, welcoming
environment
for
everyone
at
Michigan.”
Friday’s settlement with the
Anderson survivors was finalized
after another settlement was reached
in March between the University and
attorneys representing U-M students
in a class-action lawsuit. The March
settlement involved a promise to
create the Coordinated Community
Response Team (CCRT) in an effort
to address misconduct and increase
transparency with the University’s
response to sexual assault and
harassment on campus.
Read more at MichiganDaily.com
TESS CROWLEY/Daily
Construction causes road closures on State St. Tuesday afternoon.
JENNA HICKEY/Daily