Duluth Bargaining Update (May 25)
Duluth Bargaining Update from Kirsti Hendrickson, RN, Saint Luke’s Hospital, and Dolly Dahl, RN SMDC:
We entered our first bargaining meetings with management knowing that staffing and patient care is our number one issue. We also know that we have some catching up to do with our fellow MNA nurses in the Twin Cities on language that addresses staffing. Management proposed some things that weaken our contract when we know we need to gain ground. It is up to us now as Nurses in Duluth to show management we deserve a first-rate contract that enables us to have the nurses we need to provide the best care for our patients.
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May 25 All-Nurse Update
Dear Twin Cities Nurses,
Tomorrow the Star Tribune is putting out a story about the internal letter Allina CEO Ken Paulus sent earlier this week saying he is so concerned/upset/worried about negotiations that he is going to suspend his salary until a resolution is reached between the Twin Cities hospitals and nurses. (A nice gesture, but what does this actually have to do with resolving any of the real issues involved in these negotiations?)
At the same time, just this afternoon Allina’s lead negotiator called MNA to say that Allina is interested in returning to the bargaining table only if MNA modifies our proposals.
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MNA Response to TC Hospitals’ May 24 Allegations
Twin Cities hospitals came out with a press release today bashing Twin Cities nurses and making disingenuous statements and untrue allegations. Below is the official response from one our MNA leaders. We’re not sure all of the statement below will be used in media coverage, but this is our full and official response:
“The Twin Cities hospitals continue to be completely disingenuous with their public message,” said Susan Mason, lead negotiator for the Minnesota Nurses Association. “Their public rhetoric literally does not match up with reality. For example, since we gave our emphatic answer on May 19th with a near unanimous rejection of their contract offers, only one of the six hospital systems has contacted the Minnesota Nurses Association with a request to return to the bargaining table.
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From a grateful mom: Thank You, Nurses
Have a story you want to share? Contact MNA’s John Nemo for details.
Our 6-year-old daughter has been admitted to Children’s three times for pneumonia and asthma-related bouts. Her first stay at Children’s Hospital was when she was 2. Most recently, last fall, Sarah was in the ICU, and we were as frightened as ever that we would lose her. The nurses were unfailingly attentive to her, and to us. They kept us informed, giving us updates, helping us interpret stats, answering questions, and referring us to the right people when they themselves didn’t have the answers.
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Unsafe Staffing Levels – The Latest Example
Guest Blog Post by Mary Kohout, RN, Fairview Southdale Hospital
I worked this past weekend in the ICU. There were many frustrations and concerns to be had by all the staff. On Friday afternoon from 3-7, we were two nurses short. This was completly unacceptable. We had no resourse nurse and only one flying squad nurse. Our charge nurse had to be off the floor to respond to two RRTs b/c our flying squad was tied up with other patients. During this time, we had obtained an unstable artic sun, heart patient, and an unstable surgical patient. We only had one aide, who was not on the floor b/c she had to go and get blood for all these patients.
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Former MN Sen. Dave Durenberger Weighs in
From his commentary on the National Institute of Health Policy Blog:
NURSES MAY GO ON STRIKE IN MPLS – ST. PAUL
Have you ever heard of doctors threatening to go on strike if their income and hourly work demands aren’t met by their employers? I haven’t. However, doctors, unlike nurses, are able to increase their income by prescribing more medical services or creating shortages in their specialties or just lobbying for increases in pay for specific procedures. Doctors will refuse to see Medicaid patients to put pressure on state legislators; or refuse to see Medicare patients to pressure Congress.
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