Labor Unions

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In: Elections, Home, Labor Unions, Nurses, Organizing, Unions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laurie Laker
(c) 612-741-0662
laurie.laker@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – January 21, 2025 – Last week, a group of Registered Nurses (RNs) and Licensed Practical Nurses (LPNs) at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation in Center City, MN have voted overwhelmingly to join the existing Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) as a new bargaining unit.  

The bargaining unit of 56 nurses includes 11 LPNs and 45 RNs, and each group voted in strong support of unionizing. This decision comes in response to growing frustrations among nurses, particularly after management removed benefits for employees working under a .75 full-time equivalent (FTE). 
… Read more about: Nurses at Center City’s Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation Vote for MNA Representation  »

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In: Healthcare, Home, Labor Unions, National Nurses United, Nurses, Press Releases, Uncategorized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laurie Laker
(c) 612-741-0662
laurie.laker@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – January 16, 2025 – The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), representing more than 22,000 nurses across the state, joins the nation’s largest union of registered nurses, National Nurses United (NNU), in celebrating the recognition of nurses as the most honest and ethical profession for the 23rd year in a row, according to the annual Gallup Honesty and Ethics poll.

“Nurses are deeply honored by this recognition from the public, which reaffirms the trust we work so hard to build every day,” said Chris Rubesch, RN, MNA President.
… Read more about: Nurses Voted Most Honest & Ethical Profession for 23rd Consecutive Year  »

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In: Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Home, Labor Unions, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Laurie Laker
(c) 612-741-0662
laurie.laker@mnnurses.org

(Duluth) – December 10, 2024 – Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) from Essentia’s East Market held a press conference on Monday evening at the Duluth Labor Temple to mark the one-year anniversary of their historic effort to secure union representation with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA).

Over the last year, the APPs have made significant strides in their organizing efforts, successfully forming their union and winning their election in July 2024. Despite the National Labor Relations Board’s certification of the vote, Essentia has repeatedly refused to recognize the union or come to the table to negotiate a contract in good faith.
… Read more about: Essentia East Market APPs Honor Union Anniversary, Call for Return to Bargaining Table  »

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In: Action, Allina, Home, Labor Unions, Press Releases

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact: Sam Fettig, MNA
612-741-0662
sam.fettig@mnnurses.orgJosh Keller, SEIU MN
612-270-2984
jkeller@seiumn.org

Marisa Powell Zengin, Doctors Council
646-599-6038
mrpdoctorscouncil@gmail.com

Speakers to address impact of ICU and pediatric inpatient closures at Mercy Hospital and Unity Campus, pattern of corporate priorities by Allina executives   

(St. Paul) – March 13, 2024 – Today, Wednesday, March 13, 2024, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) will join Allina physicians with the Doctors Council and healthcare workers with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa to highlight the devastating impact on patients, workers, and the community of Allina executives’ plan to close the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Mercy Hospital – Unity Campus in Fridley, and to eliminate pediatric inpatient beds at Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids.
… Read more about: Healthcare providers, workers to speak out on impact of Allina corporate closures to patients, community  »

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In: Duluth, Essentia, Home, Labor Unions, Organizing, Press Releases, Unions

MEDIA ADVISORY

Contact:  Amber Smigiel
(c) 651-202-0845
amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.bloomquist@mnnurses.org

(Duluth) – November 27, 2023 – Tomorrow, November 28, 2023, healthcare workers at Essentia East Market Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) will hold a press conference to announce organizing and filing for an election vote to be represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association.  The APPs filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board on November 27, and an election date has yet to be determined. 

 “I believe that unionizing will give us the collective voice to advocate for necessary changes in our working conditions so that we can bring our best selves to work each day, and for protection against policies that are harmful to staff and patient care.
… Read more about: Healthcare workers at Essentia East Market Advanced Practice Providers to announce organizing, filing for union representation  »

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In: Allina, Bargaining, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Press Releases, Unions

Contact:  Lauren Nielsen
(c) 651-376-9709
lauren.nielsen@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – September 22, 2023 – On Thursday, an overwhelming majority of Allina’s Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) voted to be represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association.

“The conditions of our work have become unsustainable, as Allina has left us chronically short-staffed, leading to a high turnover rate. This means we can’t always respond to victims of violence, leaving them to either go to another hospital system or wait hours for a specialized nurse to respond. We want to be there for our patients who need our services, which is why we voted to have a collective voice in our workplace by unionizing with MNA,” said Stephanie Gunderson, an Allina SANE RN.
… Read more about: Allina Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners vote to affiliate with Minnesota Nurses Association  »

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In: Action, Education, Labor Unions, Unions

Minneapolis Federation of Teachers (MFT) Teachers and Education Support Professionals in the Minneapolis Public Schools are on strike for safe and stable schools. This is the first strike in 50 years in this district.

Their fight parallels what nurses and other healthcare workers are experiencing. Top-down, corporatized control of schools and teaching is hurting students and driving families out of the district, so MFT members are demanding:

On:
In: Activism, Allina, Labor Unions

Ensuring patients are safe, healthy and cared for is the ultimate goal in Healthcare. Without support staff, this goal cannot be met.

Think about a typical day on a unit and the teamwork that is needed to provide safe, whole person care—the nurses and CNAs at the bedside, the staff transporting your patients between procedures, the staff answering calls, the staff sitting with a patient overnight, the staff drawing labs, the staff delivering meal trays or fresh linens, the staff assisting a frail patient to a chair—the list is endless.

Support staff work hard to ensure that you have what you need to properly care for patients.
… Read more about: A Shift Without Support  »

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In: Action, Activism, Home, Labor Unions, Nurses, Organizing, Unions

By Cameron Fure

MNA Political Organizer

 

On Monday, July 15, workers at the Amazon Fulfillment Center in Shakopee held a picket to bring light to unfair working conditions at their sprawling worksite in the southeast metro. Workers from New York, Seattle, San Francisco and locations across Europe were also holding demonstrations to raise awareness on “Prime Day,” which is one of the largest shopping days of the year.

 

Workers were highlighting issues such as humane workloads, job security around not hiring “temp” workers, stopping unfair write-ups, investment in communities, and ending retaliation.

 

The event was organized by the Awood Center, which seeks to bring power to East African workers.
… Read more about: It’s a Prime Day to Stand up for Workers  »

nurse workplace violence

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In: Activism, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurse education, Nurses, Nursing, Politics

By Jackie Russell, RN JD

Nursing Practice and Regulatory Affairs Specialist

 

The Commission on Nursing Practice and Education (“NP&E”) met on May 16, 2019 at the MNA office in Saint Paul. With so many changes in nursing practice as a result of Lean management and short staffing, the NP&E has recently made it a top priority of the commission to write three position papers or FAQs on relevant nursing practice topics before the end of the year.  The exact topics have not been decided, yet. Is there a practice issue you would like to see addressed? Email me at Jackie.Russell@mnnurses.org.
… Read more about: Nursing Practice and Education Commission Addresses Workplace Violence  »