Duluth Bargaining (Page 4)

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Today was our seventh bargaining meeting with management of St. Luke’s hospital. In our meeting today it was made totally clear and the statement was made from management, “The buck stops here.” It stops with management. They did not want to give the rights in our contract that the board of nursing says we already have. We need the ability to say no to an unsafe assignment and if there are no nurses to take an admission safely, for the right in our contract to temporarily close the unit to admissions. We made it clear to management of our needs in our contract for safe patient care.
… Read more about: Duluth Bargaining Update – St. Luke’s (July 21)  »

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Today was our sixth negotiation session with management of SMDC.

It was our first day with a federal mediator. Management did not say that staffing is a problem at SMDC. We told two very heartfelt staffing stories and there was no acknowledgement of the severity of the problem this creates for us as nurses and our patients. We asked what we could do to convince management that staffing is a problem. We were told that staffing is not a problem.

“I won’t say there is a problem or there isn’t a problem.” Mary Beth Olson said in response to our staffing discussion.
… Read more about: Duluth Bargaining – SMDC (July 21 Update)  »

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Today we had our sixth bargaining session with management of St. Luke’s hospital.

“The St. Luke’s bargaining committee refined the staffing plan in order for the contract to be settled. We have solidified the direction we need to go. Management’s response fell short of our safe staffing needs, because it did not allow for RN’s to say ‘No’ to an unsafe assignment.” – Mary Koski “Meech” RN

Cindy Prout, RN, states, “Yesterday we had a great, successful picket at SMDC as Duluth Nurses United. Our favorite chant of the day was ‘1, 2, 3, 4, We don’t like your grid no more!
… Read more about: Duluth – St. Luke’s Bargaining Update (July 13)  »

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A Special THANK YOU to the elected officials, patients, general public and brother and sister union members who showed up July 12th to support Duluth Nurses on the picket line!

ELECTED OFFICIALS
Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Duluth Mayor Don Ness
Duluth City Council Member Patrick Boyle
Duluth City Council Member Sharla Gardner
Duluth City Council Member Kerry Gauthier
Representative Mary Murphy
Office of Senator Al Franken
Office of Congressman Jim Oberstar

UNIONS
AFSCME
APWU
Carpenters
Duluth Central Labor Body
IBEW
IUPAT
IUOE
Massachusetts Nurses Association
MN AFL-CIO
NALC Branch 114
NE Area Labor Council
Workers United
USW
… Read more about: Thank you!  »

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: John Nemo, MNA, 651-414-2863 or e-mail

DULUTH, Minn. (July 6, 2010) – More than 1,300 Duluth Nurses will conduct informational picketing from 12:00-5:00 p.m. on July 12th outside SMDC Medical Center to call attention to unsafe staffing levels.

“Here at St. Mary’s and Miller Dwan (SMDC), we currently have more than 800 open nursing shifts over a four-week period from mid-June to mid-July,” said Steve Strand, RN. “The hospital is literally begging nurses to work double shifts and overtime to try and fill all these gaps.
… Read more about: Duluth Nurses to Conduct Info Picketing July 12  »