MNA Blog (Page 117)

Recent news and updates from the Minnesota Nurses Association.

On:
In: Duluth Bargaining

Today was our fourth negotiation session with management of SMDC. After meeting for over a month, they finally responded to some of our proposals. In response to our proposal which gives nurses the ability to temporarily close a unit to admissions due to unsafe staffing situations the answer was loud and clear NO.

Jerry Zanko director of employee and labor relations at SMDC said “I have no interest in agreeing to language that isn’t worth the paper it is written on!”  Zanko’s response to whether or not they would have a counter proposal next week was ‘perhaps’.

Management proposed language that would have taken four long time nurses out of the contract.
… Read more about: June 24 Duluth Bargaining Update – SMDC  »

On:
In: Bargaining, Nurses Strike

JUNE 24, 2010 STATEMENT FROM THE MINNESOTA NURSES ASSOCIATION:
Our nurses spent more than 13 hours today doing our best to stay hopeful about negotiations. Unfortunately, zero progress was made. Despite today’s setback, our nurses offered to return to the bargaining table again on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and every other day until a contract agreement can be reached. Instead, the Twin Cities Hospitals responded that the earliest they could meet would be sometime next week.

It has become beyond obvious to our nurses that the Twin Cities Hospitals, despite what they continue to say publicly, have no interest in meaningful or good faith negotiations.
… Read more about: June 24, 2010 MNA Statement on Negotiations  »

On:
In: Bargaining, Nurses, Nurses Strike, Nursing

To Whom It May Concern:

I’m an acute care registered nurse at a St. Paul hospital and am
concerned (as are the majority of nurses) about the way nurses are being
portrayed in their quest for safe staffing. However, I also realize the
majority of the population doesn’t know exactly what a nurse does when
he/she is outside the patient room. The public hears us talk about needing
more time at the bedside, but doesn’t understand why they see nurses at
the desk so often. With this understanding, I set out to give a detailed
account of what nurses’ duties are outside the patient room.
… Read more about: 510 minutes: A MNA RN Explains a typical shift  »

On:
In: Duluth Bargaining

From the St. Luke’s bargaining committee: In our fifth bargaining session with management of St. Luke’s hospital, we had a detailed discussion about the implementation of our nurse-to-patient ratios which research has proven to is better for patient outcomes. Management asked clarifying questions and listened to our explanations. Nothing has come back from management across the table regarding safe patient care.  We expect to make major progress in our next meeting and we continue to take steps towards this, yet are prepared to show how serious we are in our commitment for safe patient care.

From Kate Donovan RN 7W: “Today was our fifth bargaining session.
… Read more about: Duluth Bargaining Update (June 22)  »