FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: John Nemo, 651-414-2863 or john.nemo@mnnurses.org
Hundreds of Minnesota Nurses to Rally Saturday
Gathering in Hopkins focused on patient safety, advocacy as nurses continue contract negotiations with area hospitals
ST. PAUL – More than 900 Minnesota nurses are expected to gather Saturday for a boisterous public rally focused on the importance of patient safety and advocacy as RNs continue contract negotiations with several Twin Cities hospital systems.
“On the heels of the historic healthcare legislation passed earlier this week, attention is focused on this industry like never before,” said Minnesota Nurses Association President Linda Hamilton, who works as an RN in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. “As nurses, we’re tired of seeing our patients suffer and in some cases even die because hospitals are putting profits ahead of everything else.”
More than 72,000 people across the United States needlessly die every year because hospitals don’t have enough nurses on staff, Hamilton said, referencing a 2005 Medical Care Journal study.
“That’s almost 1,500 Minnesotans every year,” she said. “If you don’t have enough nurses working, people are going to die when they don’t need to. That’s why the focus of our contract negotiations is to ensure hospitals allow for the kind of safe staffing levels that will prevent Minnesota families from watching a loved one potentially become one of these statistics.”
The current labor contract between 12,000 Minnesota Nurses and six Twin Cities hospital systems (North Memorial, HealthEast, Allina, Methodist, Children’s and Fairview) expires on May 31, 2010. After several weeks of bargaining, nurses will vote on May 19 to either ratify the new contract or authorize a strike. The last time there was a large-scale RN strike in Minnesota was 1984, when 6,000 nurses walked off the job for 35 days. It remains the largest RN strike in U.S. history.
“When it comes to the people of this great state, Minnesota nurses want everyone to know that we care,” Hamilton said. “We care for each and every patient we see. And we’ll keep fighting to ensure we’re allowed to do that to the very best of our ability and that your experience with us is as safe and comfortable as possible.”
The general public is welcome and encouraged to attend Saturday’s rally.
“We love our patients, and we’d love to see them in a setting outside of a hospital room for a change,” Hamilton said. “This is really a rally about people, about ensuring quality nursing care for everyone.”
EVENT DETAILS
Who: Hundreds of Minnesota Nurses and members of the general public
What: All Nurse Rally
When: Saturday, March 27, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Where: Hopkins High School, 2400 Lindbergh Drive, Minnetonka, MN
Why: To advocate for importance of patient safety, advocacy as it relates to ongoing contract negotiations between nurses and Twin Cities hospitals.
More information: www.MNNurses.org <http://www.MNNurses.org>