Elections (Page 5)

Blog posts categorized as Elections will pull into the Issues & Advocacy > Elections page.

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In: Action, Elections, Home

By Jackie O’Shea

MNA Political Organizer

In a recent MNA staff meeting, Executive Director Rose Roach told us “every election cycle, we say this is the most important election ever, but that’s because every election is important.” I couldn’t agree more. In the almost 10 years I’ve worked in the labor movement, there has never been an upcoming election in which the results wouldn’t have had an impact on workers and families. Whether the top issue is education, healthcare reform, union rights, or a balanced budget, there is always something on the line.  The open race for Minnesota Governor in 2018 is no different, with current Governor Mark Dayton not running for re-election, and a plethora of candidates who have announced they are seeking the office.
… Read more about: Who Should MNA Endorse?  »

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In: Elections, Press Releases

Minnesota Nurses Endorse Candidates for Duluth City Council

 

Flipovich, Kennedy, and Sipress Praised for Supporting Nurse Values

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – May 31, 2017 – The Board of Directors of the Minnesota Nurses Association has approved the endorsements of Joel Sipress for Duluth’s District 2 City Council seat and Zack Flipovich and Janet Kennedy for the two at-large positions.  All candidates were screened by a committee of MNA nurses, which submitted its recommendations to the board.

Sipress won endorsement thanks to his work advocating for workers at the Duluth Whole Foods Co-op. 
… Read more about: Minnesota Nurses Endorse Candidates for Duluth City Council  »

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Contact: Barb Brady
(office) 651-414-2849
(cell) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org 

Rick Fuentes
(office) 651-414-2863
(cell) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – March 16, 2017 –  Minnesota Nurses Association nurses voted to endorse candidates for St. Paul mayor, Minneapolis mayor, and the Minneapolis City Council.

Nurses endorsed St. Paul City Council member Dai Thao for mayor.

“We are proud to support Dai Thao for mayor of St. Paul,” said MNA President Mary Turner. “He shares nurses’ progressive values and has committed to actively supporting nurses on our top issues including safe staffing in hospitals, single-payer healthcare, collective bargaining rights for all workers, and Earned Sick and Safe Time.”

Nurses voted to endorse State Representative Raymond Dehn for Minneapolis mayor.
… Read more about: Minnesota Nurses Association Endorses St. Paul, Minneapolis Candidates  »

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By Eileen Gavin

MNA Political Organizer

There are some major races for political office this year in St. Paul and Minneapolis. St. Paul will be electing a new Mayor as Chris Coleman has thrown his name in the ring in the race for Minnesota’s next Governor. Also, Minneapolis residents will be voting for their Mayor and City Council. MNA has a long history of involvement in races at the state level, including state legislative races both in the House and Senate, Governor, and Attorney General. MNA has not been very involved in electoral work at the city level—until now. The MNA Board of Directors has made a strategic decision to participate in local elections, a decision welcomed and applauded by almost all of the candidates we interviewed last week.
… Read more about: MNA Enters the Local Political Scene  »

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In: Elections, Home, Nurse licensure, Nurses, Nurses Strike

By Laura Sayles

MNA Government Affairs Specialist

 

Seems like it’s a tradition that around Thanksgiving everyone writes about what they are thankful for. To mix holiday metaphors, the Grinch in me can’t find much to be thankful for right now. Regardless of who you voted for, there is no doubt that this election season was brutal: to people’s mailboxes and televisions, to relationships with family and friends, to a culture of civil dialogue, to candidates who lost, to candidates who won and now have to govern highly polarized electorates.

And in all honestly, I’ve mostly succumbed to the pessimism all this brings.
… Read more about: The tradition of feeling thankful – even this year  »

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By Laura Sayles

MNA Governmental Affairs Specialist
Congratulations MNA Endorsed Candidates!

In Tuesday’s Minnesota Primaries, many MNA endorsed candidates who had primary opponents won their races and will move on to November’s General Election.

MNA was proud to be one of only two unions to endorse Ilhan Omar in her race for the DFL endorsement in House District 60B.  MNA nurses were impressed by the work she has done on winning paid parental leave for Minneapolis city employees, banning environmentally harmful containers, restricting the use of pollinator-harming pesticides, and expanding the use of restorative justice in Minneapolis.  Her story of her entry into politics through interpreting for her grandfather at local DFL caucuses leading to her to work for change at the grassroots level inspired MNA nurses to support her bid for the DFL endorsement. 
… Read more about: MNA Endorsed Candidates Move On to General Election  »

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In: Activism, Bernie Sanders, Elections, Home, Nurses

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders stopped by a reception to speak to Registered Nurse Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association.  Hundreds of MNA members have organized “Nurses4Bernie” rallies in Minnesota and Iowa to drum up support for the Democratic Presidential candidate.  After the event, Sanders spoke at the Humphrey-Mondale fundraiser dinner in St. Paul, Minnesota.
… Read more about: Video: Bernie Sanders Speaks to Minnesota Nurses Association Members  »

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In: Elections, Healthcare, Hospitals, Nurses, Politics

By Rose Roach, MNA Executive DirectorRose photo

 

I was honored to serve on Governor Dayton’s Health Care Financing Task Force, which completed its work on January 15, 2016 with a package of recommendations to be forwarded to the Governor and the Legislature. On behalf of the nurses I represented on that task force, I proudly voted yes for the overall set of recommendations which included important steps in providing better access and in some instances, more affordable, healthcare options for patients including: extending MinnesotaCare to cover people up to 275% of Federal Poverty Level; repealing the sunsetting of the provider tax that is needed to continue MinnesotaCare; covering adult immigrants and their children, regardless of immigration status, up to 200% of the Federal Poverty level; and funding an economic study to determine the long-term financing for a healthcare system that puts people over profits.
… Read more about: With Healthcare, We’re Patients, Not Consumers  »

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joekatieBy MNA member Joe Howard, RN, Essentia Health-Duluth

I took my nine-year-old daughter Katie to Senator Bernie Sanders’ rally in Duluth on January 26. What an experience!

As a nurse, I like Sanders’ platform that addresses the blatant inequalities that exist in our country. As a father, I know he cares about a brighter future for my daughters.

Listening to the speech with my daughter opened my eyes to how far we have drifted to a society of the haves and the have nots.

I felt uneasy trying to explain why it is okay for women to get paid less, why it is okay for graduates to be saddled with heavy student loan debt, and why skin color might be a factor in not getting a job or in going to jail.
… Read more about: MNA Blog: Sanders rally was eye-opening experience  »

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In: Elections, Minnesota Nurses Association

National Nurses United this week endorsed the U.S. Presidential candidate who agrees with nurses’ values and is an ardent advocate for issues important to the nursing profession, like expanding Medicare, the Robin Hood Tax to ensure Wall Street pays its fair share, and proper safety and protections from infectious diseases for nurses and patients.

National Nurses United announced on August 10 the endorsement of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for President at a “Conversation with Bernie” at NNU’s national offices in California.  Hundreds of RNs cheered Sanders on at the California event, and thousands more watched on live stream at 34 watch parties in 14 states, including Minnesota.
… Read more about: National Nurses United endorses Bernie Sanders for President  »