Bargaining (Page 21)


… Read more about: BREAKING NEWS: Twin Cities Nurses Vote Resoundingly to Authorize Open-Ended Strike  »
ST. PAUL (June 21, 2010) – In a historic stand for patient safety, 84 percent of Twin Cities nurses voted Monday to authorize an open-ended strike against 14 hospitals if a contract agreement cannot be reached.

“This is a vote we never wanted to take,” said Linda Hamilton, a Registered Nurse at Children’s Hospital and President of the Minnesota Nurses Association. “The hospitals forced us to this point by adamantly refusing to address even a single proposal related to patient safety over the past three months of negotiations. But Minnesota nurses will do whatever it takes to protect our patients. We have been and will continue to be united for our patients and safe staffing levels.”

MNA leaders told the hospitals late last week that they will not issue a formal strike notice as long as productive negotiations are continuing.

June 21, 2010
To: Ken Paulus, Jeff Peterson, Terry Graner, and Kevin Graham

When you justify your request for cuts of my benefits as a necessary measure to exercise fiscal responsibility, I ask that you exhibit the same responsibility by taking the same percentage raises, the same pension cuts, the same hour/FTE cuts as those asked of me.

When you claim the need for “belt tightening” as a resource stewardship measure, I ask that you restrain from duplicating serivces, spend on new faciilties, or enhance existing facilities with expensive cosmetic improvements.  I also ask that you consider your staff a valuable resource in your organization. 
… Read more about: An open letter to Allina leadership  »