Minnesota Nurses fighting for safe staffing levels for patients held an informational picket on Tuesday, June 24, 2014. Legislative leaders from the area joined them to echo their concerns that patient safety is a concern.
… Read more about: Video: Minnesota Nurses Hold Informational Picket at North Memorial Hospital »
Nurses flex collective muscle with three ratifications, two tentative agreements within five days
Celebratory emails were lighting up MNA inboxes for five straight days as announcement after announcement arrived of contract victories all over the state.
146 nurses at Mayo Clinic Health Systems in Austin, MN started the buzz with a contract ratification on Wed., May 28. 114 Mayo colleagues 40 miles away approved their agreement just one day later. On Monday, it was 287 nurses at Sanford Bemidji Medical Center in northwest Minnesota who ratified their contract.
The run continued on Tuesday, with two notices of tentative agreements.
… Read more about: Monster Week for Nurse Contracts Across Minnesota »
The Minnesota Legislature is constitutionally mandated to finish their work by next Monday, so there has been a lot of activity this week as lawmakers rush to finish important bills. Many MNA priorities have been signed into law or made significant progress this week. Work will continue tonight and possibly over the weekend, so watch your email for a final update from MNA next week.
Public Employee Relations Board: Signed into Law
On May 9 the Governor signed into law a bill to establish a Public Employee Relations Board (HF3014). This legislation will create a board to decide Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) claims involving public employees, which includes many MNA nurses at public municipal or county hospitals (known in statute as Charitable Hospitals).
… Read more about: MNA Legislative Update, May 16, 2014 »
MNA Legislative Update May 2, 2014
Public Employee Relations Board
A bill to establish a Public Employee Relations Board (HF3014) was passed by the full Senate on Monday. This legislation would create a board to decide Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) claims involving public employees, which includes many MNA nurses at public municipal or county hospitals (known in statute as Charitable Hospitals). Under current law public employees must litigate ULP claims in district court-a cumbersome and expensive process. The PERB bill would create a process that saves employers and employees money and would mirror the ULP process in the private sector.
… Read more about: MNA Legislative Update May 2, 2014 »
Thief River Falls nurses beat Boston off the starting line of the running season this year, and may have Beantown trying hard to catch up.
MNA members of the Sanford – Thief River Falls Medical Center bargaining unit are celebrating the success of their inaugural 5k RN Run on Saturday, April 19 to raise funds for the community’s D.A.R.E. program.
Nearly 60 runners participated in the event and nurses were able to deliver $836 to the organization dedicated to drug abuse resistance education.
MNA Co-Chair Tiffany Eidelbes credited nurse organizers Kayla Knutson and Karey Johnson with imagining and executing an idea that brought a sizable crowd out for the festivities.
… Read more about: Thief River Falls “RN Run” Raises Funds and Fun »
Imagine everyone in your town wanting to let you know you are awesome. MNA nurses in International Falls don’t have to dream.
Eight months into negotiating a contract with management at Rainy Lake Medical Center (RLMC), the 27-member bargaining unit is literally seeing signs of support throughout this picturesque city that shares a border with Canada.
Over 100 signs, sporting the message “We Support Our Nurses” are being posted in shop windows; hoisted high by firefighters, paramedics and EMTs; cradled by senior apartment residents; and displayed on bulletin boards throughout the city’s commercial districts. It’s a message warmly given from the town often referred to as “America’s Icebox.” In addition, members of several other unions in the area have signed petitions of solidarity for the nurses.
… Read more about: Signs of Support for IFalls Nurses Line the Streets »
On Thursday, April 3, for the seventh consecutive year, the Minnesota Nurses Association hosted students from nursing schools throughout the state for a lesson in advocacy that takes them beyond their bedside responsibilities.
350 students and instructors, representing 14 different schools of nursing attended the day-long event that kicked off with a morning meet & greet with MNA members leaders. A comprehensive orientation followed, providing students insights about policy issues facing legislators in which nurses have a keen interest, including Nurse Licensing, Monitoring and Discipline; Minimum Wage; Mandatory Flu Vaccine; Department of Health Study of Staffing and Patient Outcomes; and Health Care for All.
… Read more about: Nursing Students Connect Practice and Policy »
Nurse Licensing, Monitoring and Discipline
The bills proposing changes to the Health Professionals Services Program (HPSP) and how the Board of Nursing handles nurses with substance use disorders and drug diversion are moving through the legislative process. Our priorities remain reflected in the bills – protecting patient safety, treating substance use disorder as a disease, encouraging nurses with substance use disorders to seek rehabilitation treatment, and protecting nurses’ private medical and legal information.
Minimum Wage
The conference committee working on a bill to increase the minimum wage is still hung up on the issue of an automatic inflationary increase for low-wage workers (“indexing”).
… Read more about: MNA Legislative Update March 28, 2014 »
The employees of Murray County Medical Center (MCMC) in Slayton, MN often refer to themselves in the collective as “family.” They are neighbors and friends who care for neighbors and friends in the most of vulnerable times. In recent years, however, circumstances for patients on some of the hospital’s shifts at the county-owned hospital became so alarming that many of those family members have left the facility. Nurses, physicians, physician assistants and others have either resigned or were forced out – some amidst the disruption of legal wrangling.
Several months ago, nurses who are also MNA Stewards surveyed their co-workers and the results pointed to the hostile environment, fears about inadequate staffing and the fact it is impossible for nurses to be two places at once due to the distance between patient care units.
… Read more about: Slayton Nurses Show Courage Beyond the Bedside »
Nurses from Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar, Minnesota, showed up in full force with their families to report to the City Council the community needs first-rate nurses and first-rate patient care.
Carolyn Jorgenson, RN, MNA Board member told council members who are the trustees for the hospital that the facility’s management team has set a poor tone with nurses. She told a sea of MNA red in the audience that the employer has delivered an underlying message of disrespect for the value of nursing for the community.
Here are excerpts of the comments offered by Jorgenson at last night’s City Council meeting:
“I absolutely LOVE and live nursing.
… Read more about: Willmar Nurses Go to City Hall »