MNA Blog (Page 143)

Recent news and updates from the Minnesota Nurses Association.

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In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Labor Unions

Today marks the official start to formal employment contract negotiations between 12,000 Minnesota Nurses and six Twin Cities hospital systems. Below is an overview of the key issues and some facts and statistics.

ISSUE SUMMARY

  • More than 12,000 Minnesota Nurses formally began labor contract negotiations with six Twin Cities hospital systems (North Memorial, HealthEast, Allina, Methodist, Children’s and Fairview) on March 16, 2010.
  • Key issues during the negotiations include nurse-to-patient staffing ratios and the hospitals’ desire to slash the nurses’ long-standing pension plan benefits by one-third.

KEY DATES

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In: Politics

AUDIO: Thissen vs. Emmer

This is one audio clip (see link above) not to miss! MNA-endorsed Gov. Candidate Paul Thissen took fellow candidate Tom Emmer to the proverbial woodshed the other day on Minnesota Public Radio. Thissen called Emmer out for using popular political buzzwords and rhetoric without explaining how any of those ideas would actually get accomplished. Now you can see why more than 20,000 Minnesota Nurses endorse Paul Thissen for Governor!
… Read more about: Paul Thissen torches Tom Emmer on MPR  »

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In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Labor Unions

All About the Money
The Employers overarching principle is this: They want to cut your pension.

Some Effects of Employers Pension proposals:
— You will earn a lower pension benefit for any work after 1-1-2011….GUARANTEED

— You will only earn credits to your pension benefit if you work in a .5 or greater position.

— Pension benefits will be cut for every nurse whether you take a normal retirement, early retirement, or disability retirement.

All proposals have been shared. We will be meeting with the Federal Mediator for the next bargaining session on March 17th, 2010.
… Read more about: Pension Bargaining – March 10 Update  »

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In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Organizing

Employers Propose Major Reductions
Our pension plan is the envy of registered nurses around the country. It is a benefit that we negotiated years ago and have worked hard to protect. Many of us have worked for years in our hospitals, providing quality patient care every day, and deserve a pension that will allow us to retire when we are ready.

Pension bargaining with our employers got under way on Friday, March 5. We proposed moderate improvements to our pension. Our employers, on the other hand, proposed three major reductions in pension benefits.

Our Proposals

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In: Activism, Healthcare, Politics

Media Contact: Liz Doyle (612-483-5854) or lizd@takeactionminnesota.org

Statement of the Save GAMC Coalition on House override vote

Members of the Minnesota House today had the opportunity to hold to their vote in support of the men and women on General Assistance Medical Care and override the Governor’s Veto. Thirty eight  Republican House members who voted in support of this legislation last week have now changed their minds and voted against health coverage for the poorest Minnesotans. The Administration is already beginning to un-enroll people on GAMC and transition them into MinnesotaCare, a program that is more costly than the DFL plan and simply will not work for those currently on GAMC.
… Read more about: Press Release: Save GAMC Coalition Statement on today’s House override attempt  »

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In: Uncategorized

MNA Member RN Barb Warren-Bloms (located on the far right and wearing a black shirt in the photo above) just returned from Haiti today, and she’s already got more than 200 photos up on her Facebook page. Barb’s journey to Haiti has already been well-chronicled, and in the coming days we’ll make sure to share some of her most powerful stories and photos as well. Barb is the first MNA nurse to be formally deployed to Haiti through the National Nurses United organization’s relief efforts. Barb spent two weeks on the floating Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort, and she’ll be headed back to work here at her hospital in Minneapolis on Monday.
… Read more about: First MNA Nurse Returns From Haiti with stories, photos  »

On:
In: Activism, Labor Unions, Nurses, Politics

As MNA President Linda Hamilton said so eloquently (and accurately) in the video above, “Nurses are in the House!” More than 900 RNs and nursing students gathered at the State Capitol yesterday, and our voices were heard loud and clear by dozens of Minnesota legislators and leaders, including Attorney General Lori Swanson and others. Swanson was among those who spoke at a standing-room-only noontime rally in the Capitol Rotunda, and throughout the day hundreds of nurses met with their legislators and representatives to advocate for patient safety, restoring the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) program and other important issues. Special tanks to all of you who showed up and spoke up on behalf of RNs and patients!
… Read more about: Minnesota Nurses Day on the Hill 2010 Recap  »