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In: Bernie Sanders, Home, Hospitals, Insurance, Labor Unions, Nurses

By Rick Fuentes

MNA Communications Specialist

There’s been a lot of scare tactics lately about the Cadillac Tax. Recently, one of the big Twin Cities hospital chains even produced a video for its employees where a cartoon employee drives her old Cadillac into a car dealer to get a newer, cheaper car. Make no mistake, however, the Cadillac Tax isn’t about to run over middle-class workers. At least not yet.

The “Cadillac Tax” or excise tax is part of the Affordable Care Act, which set a 40 percent tax on insurance plans valued over $10,200 for an individual and $27,500 for families.
… Read more about: The Truth About the Cadillac Tax  »

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In: Home, Press Releases

Contact:  Rick Fuentes

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

Barbara Brady

(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(Baudette) – March 24, 2016 – LakeWood Health Center employees will detail how the hospital violated their rights to unionize during a hearing conducted by the National Labor Relations Board in Baudette April 5-8.

The hearing follows a complaint the National Labor Relations Board issued in February that found LakeWood “interfered with, restrained or coerced employees in the exercise of their rights” to unionize.

The complaint was in response to Unfair Labor Practice charges filed by the Minnesota Nurses Association after LakeWood illegally withdrew recognition of the union in the middle of bargaining a first contract.
… Read more about: Press Release: National Labor Relations Board hears charges against LakeWood Health Center at April 5-8 public hearing  »

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In: Continuing Education, Home, Issues, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nursing Education, Uncategorized

By Megan Gavin

MNA Education Specialist

Why you should use some of your precious free time to attend an MNA education session

In the 1960s it was common practice for hospitals to charge nurses for breaking hospital property, which included glass vials of medication. Frustrated by low pay and practices such as this, a group of nurses successfully organized their co-workers to challenge this policy. Today the breakage clause, which states “it is not the policy of the hospital to charge nurses for breakage,” is one of the oldest sections in MNA contracts.

 

MNA has more than hundred years of history to learn from, ideas to copy, and people to emulate.
… Read more about: Why you should use some of your precious free time to attend an MNA education session  »

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In: Home, Press Releases, Standards of Care

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

Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – March 15, 2016 – Nurse members of the Minnesota Nurses Association reported more than 2,700 incidents of unsafe staffing in Minnesota hospitals last year, according to a qualitative study released today at the Minnesota Nurses Association’s annual lobby day in St. Paul. These incidents are reported in Concern for Safe Staffing (CFSS) forms that nurses file in unsafe situations.

The report issued today showed nurses filed 32.93 percent more CFSS forms in calendar year 2015 than they did in 2014, which totaled 2,062 incidents.
… Read more about: Press Release: Minnesota Nurses Report Record Number of Staffing Incidents in Hospitals  »

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In: Home, Press Releases

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

Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – March 10, 2016 – Minnesota Nurses Association Executive Director Rose Roach was appointed to, and chosen to co-chair, a St. Paul task force that will study and make recommendations on extending earned sick and safe time to all employees in the city.

Roach will serve as co-chair of the Earned Sick and Safe Time Task Force, along with St. Paul Human Rights and Equal Economic Opportunity Commission Chair JaPaul Harris and St. Paul Area Chamber of Commerce President Matt Kramer.
… Read more about: Press Release: MNA Executive Director appointed to St. Paul Earned Sick and Safe Time Task Force  »

On:
In: Allina, Bargaining, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals

 

By Mathew Keller, RN JD

MNA Regulatory and Nursing Policy Specialist

It is a common misconception that nurses get great healthcare at a reduced price through their employer. It makes sense. If I work at the car dealership, I get an employee discount on cars, right? Not so for employees in the healthcare field. Despite working with the sickest of the sick, despite having higher rates of work-related injuries and illnesses than any other industry, and despite putting themselves in harm’s way for the sake of their patients every single day, healthcare employees often have sub-par health insurance and access to healthcare. 
… Read more about: Attempts to Diminish RN Healthcare Benefits are Short Sighted  »

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In: Activism, Home, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Politics, Unsafe Staffing

 

By Eileen Gavin

MNA Political Organizer

There is a saying in politics.  “If you are not at the table you are ON the table.” Don’t let that be case this legislative session. The 2016 Minnesota Legislative Session begins March 8 and is scheduled to adjourn May 23. While the physical landscape is literally different this year with the Capitol renovation still underway, the nature of the work remains the same. When your elected officials get back to work, business leaders, lobbyists, advocacy groups, and Minnesotans from all over the state will descend on the Capitol to advance their respective causes.
… Read more about: Come to the table!  »

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In: Home, Hospitals, Nurse education, Nurse licensure, Nurses, Nurses Shortage, Uncategorized

By Mathew Keller, RN, JD

MNA Nursing Policy and Practice Specialist

As this blog detailed last year, fears of a nursing shortage in Minnesota are somewhat unfounded. In fact, at the time, Minnesota was licensing more than three Registered Nurses for every new job opening in the state.

We’ve crunched the numbers once again this year, and it turns out the trend of licensing more RNs than there are jobs for continues. Add to this the fact that the number of job openings for RNs in the state actually decreased last year, and you have a recipe for plenty of competition over every available RN job.
… Read more about: Is There a Nursing Shortage? Part 2  »

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In: Home, Press Releases

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

Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(Baudette) – February 26, 2016 – LakeWood Health Center “interfered with, restrained or coerced employees in the exercise of their rights” to unionize, according to a complaint issued by the National Labor Relations Board on Feb. 22.

The NLRB complaint was in response to an Unfair Labor Practice charge filed by the Minnesota Nurses Association after LakeWood illegally withdrew recognition of the union in the middle of bargaining a first contract.

“LakeWood clearly violated our rights,” said McCall Plourde, an X-ray technologist at LakeWood.
… Read more about: Press Release: LakeWood Health Center Illegally ‘Coerced,’ ‘Interrogated’ Staff: National Labor Relations Board  »

On:
In: Home, Press Releases

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

Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – February 25, 2016 – Minnesota Nurses Association nurses from Unity, United, Abbott Northwestern/Phillips Eye Institute, and Mercy hospitals overwhelmingly rejected Allina Health’s offer to eliminate MNA health plans during all-day voting today.

The offer would have ended four different health insurance plans for nurses, which have been part of the MNA contracts for 20 years. Allina offered to keep one of those plans for one year.

“I have very good insurance now. I don’t want to lose that insurance,” said Valerie Johnson, RN at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.
… Read more about: Press Release: MNA Nurses at Metro Allina Health Hospitals Reject Management Offer  »