MNA Blog (Page 130)

Recent news and updates from the Minnesota Nurses Association.

On:
In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nursing

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.
… Read more about: MNA Response to TC Hospitals’ May 24 Allegations  »

On:
In: Bargaining, Nurses, Nursing

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.  
… Read more about: From a grateful mom: Thank You, Nurses  »

On:
In: Bargaining

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.  
… Read more about: Unsafe Staffing Levels – The Latest Example  »

On:
In: Bargaining

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.
… Read more about: Former MN Sen. Dave Durenberger Weighs in  »

On:
In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing

One of our Twin Cities nurses e-mailed Allina CEO Ken Paulus asking why hospital executives got bonuses during the 2009 economic recession. Paulus responded via the first e-mail below that none of the executives in the Allina system (which includes United Hospital, among others) got bonuses (which he calls “merit increases”) in 2009.

Then another Twin Cities nurse asks the United Hospital President, Tomi Ryba, the same question – why did hospital executives get bonuses during the 2009 recession? (Paulus just said they did NOT get bonuses, remember?) Tomi confirms in the second e-mail below that these executives did in fact get bonuses!
… Read more about: What else are they hiding?  »

On:
In: Bargaining, Hospitals

The video below illustrates the fundamental issue at the heart of this entire dispute: Hospitals are (1) Applying business/profit models like Toyota’s “Lean Production” to the “business” of caring for critically ill human beings and (2) Trying to keep up with one another in a medical arms race to create the fanciest, day-spa type facilities to attract patients. So, why, when caring for patients is at the heart of their nonprofit mission, do hospitals respond to the economic recession by cutting the staff caring for those patients while continuing to build outdoor boardwalks and put flat screen TVs everywhere?

And speaking of the recession, Twin Cities hospitals STILL made nearly $700 million in profits during 2009.
… Read more about: The heart of this entire dispute  »