Labor Unions (Page 6)

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In: Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Politics

Linda-Hamilton_1

By Linda Hamilton, RN, BSN

It’s a great day for workers. With one fight won at the linen workers union Local 150 and one fight not won, YET. After a strike that lasted only one day the workers who launder our hospital scrubs and linens successfully secured their pensions and restored sick time benefits the management sought to steal from their workers.   President Jean Ross joined MNA leaders as well as Speaker of the Minnesota House Paul Thissen and Minnesota Senator Tom Bakk to rally together with many unions to support the striking LIUNA laborers at Cretex as they also fight for to keep their pension, affordable health care and a safe workplace.
… Read more about: MNA Nurses support LIUNA Local 563 at Cretex Rally  »

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In: Activism, Affordable Care Act, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety, Patient Safety Standards, Readmissions, Standards of Care, Unsafe Staffing

HEALTH CARE NEWS

How the American Health Care System Killed My Father    Nor is he dead because of indifferent nursing—without exception, his nurses were dedicated and compassionate.

Hospital Exposes Patients to Needless Radiation For The Money   Cardiologists and the Infirmary Health System in Mobile, Ala., are accused of needlessly exposing patients to radiation in a nine-year-running kickback scheme tainting an estimated $522 million in Medicare, Medicaid and Tricare reimbursements since 2004.

2013 a Banner Year for Minnesota Children’s Mental Health    In-reach services were added so that care could be provided when a child leaves the hospital or emergency room to help reduce readmissions and ensure a smooth transition.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, July 10, 2013: Hospital scam puts patients at risk; ACA intensifies debate on patient safety standards  »

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In: Activism, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Organizing, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

NOTES ON NURSING

More Cancer Specialist Nurses Improve Hospital Care   Patients of better staffed trusts were more likely to report that people treating and caring for them worked well together and they received enough emotional support during outpatient treatment.

HEALTH CARE NEWS

Obamacare Postpones Employer Mandate for a Year    Employers who don’t provide health insurance will be spared penalties of up to $3,000 per worker until 2015, a one-year delay of a major component of President Barack Obama’s health care reform law.

Kickstart Your Medical Bills   The Kennett family of Alexandria is one of thousands turning to the Internet to raise money for medical bills.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, July 3, 2013: Nurses, staffing, special skills combine to improve care for cancer patients  »

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In: Activism, Bargaining, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, National Nurses United, Nurses, Nursing

NOTES ON NURSING

MNA at the 2013 Staff Nurse Assembly   Minnesota nurses made up one of the biggest collections of delegates at the annual National Nurses United conference in San Francisco.

Global Nurses United of Nurse, Healthcare Unions, Born   Leaders of the premiere nurses and health care workers unions in 14 nations in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe have announced plans to form a new international organization to step up the fight against the harmful effects of austerity measures, privatization, and cuts in health care services that they say are putting people and communities at risk across the planet.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, June 26, 2013  »

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In: Activism, Health Care Reform, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, National Nurses United, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety

NOTES ON NURSING

SF BridgeNurses Take Activism Beyond the Bedside   Nurses and environmental activists from across the U.S. are joining hands this week to step up the message that there is still time to stop the Keystone XL Pipeline before it stops all of us.

St. Louis University Hospital RNs Win First Contract   Registered nurses at Saint Louis University Hospital (SLUH) have won their first ever collective bargaining agreement with a new three year contract that provides for significant improvements in patient care protections, compensation, and job protections.

HEALTH CARE

AMA Recognizes Obesity as a Disease   Experts in obesity have struggled for years to have obesity recognized as a disease that deserves medical attention and insurance coverage as do other diseases.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, June 19, 2013: Nurses march; Jobs gap for Black Americans  »

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In: Activism, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

LABOR UPDATES

OSHA To Investigate 2nd Plant Explosion in Louisiana    OSHA had cited the company for 14 alleged safety and health violations, 12 of which were described by the agency as serious.

HEALTH CARE

FBI:  Chicago Patients Suffer as For-Profit Hospital Frauds Medicare  “This complaint alleges the hospital and doctors were performing unnecessary invasive surgery to justify false billing.”

Children’s Hospitals Well-Positioned to Handle Reform  Standalone children’s hospitals have the financial fortitude to take reform challenges head on, according to a report from Fitch Ratings.

NOTES ON NURSING

Fewer Nurses, More Assistants in Montreal OR   At the end of that presentation, Richard Fahey, MUHC director of public affairs, handed journalists a USB stick containing nearly 600 pages of budget documents that spell out the cuts.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, June 17, 2013: Patients suffer as hospital profits; LA plant where workers died was cited previously  »

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In: Bargaining, Duluth Bargaining, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Uncategorized, Unsafe Staffing

First there was the crowd.  Then there were the signs.  Then there were the red uniforms that adorned every man, woman, and child in the auditorium.  The scene was set for a champion sports team to walk in the room, but this huge crowd was there to see the contract negotiators.  When they entered the room, more than 225 nurses and their families cheered and applauded to show solidarity with their elected bargaining team at the Essentia-St. Mary’s contract talks and bid good morning to management’s team.  In the end, nurses won an agreement with management they could say is the result of  hard work by the negotiating team, but also because nurses showed Essentia that nurses are united and strong.
… Read more about: Crowd of Nurses Support Essentia Bargaining Team; Tentative Agreement Won in 33 Hr. Marathon  »

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In: Activism, Bargaining, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Legislative Policy, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety, Readmissions, Unsafe Staffing

NOTES ON NURSING

NY Bill Would Mandate Hospital Nurse Staffing   Advocates say required staffing of one nurse for every two intensive-care patients and 1-to-4 ratios in regular medical-surgical units will improve patient care, reduce deaths, complaints and readmissions and leave hospitals financially intact.

MA Nurses Ratify Contract with Assignment Limits   Highlights of the agreement include contractually guaranteed limits on nurses’ patient assignments for nurses working on the medical surgical units, including no more than five patients on days, an average of five patients on evenings and a mix of five and six patient assignments for nurses on nights.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, June 12, 2013: NY, MA nurses advance patient safety standards;  »

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In: Bargaining, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Organizing

More than 225 nurses and supporters from St. Mary’s, Miller-Dwan, Virginia, and Superior hospitals showed up to welcome both nurse and management bargaining teams to the negotiating table as contract talks began Monday morning.  Nurse Kellie Brickson read an opening statement to management on behalf of MNA nurses.

Negotiations continue as of Tuesday morning.
… Read more about: Essentia Nurses Welcome Bargaining Teams  »

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In: Activism, Health Care Reform, Healthcare, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association, Nurses, Nursing, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

NOTES ON NURSING

AHRQ Seeks Comments From Patients to Help Develop Patient Safety Reporting System   There is a growing body of evidence that many adverse medical events go unreported in current systems.  One important reason for this reporting gap is that most reporting systems do not presently accept or elicit reports from patients and their families. AHRQ recognizes that the unique perspective of health care consumers could reveal important information that is not reported by health care providers. NOTE: Comment deadline is July 8, 2013

On the Wings of a Nightingale  Today I ran into a Mexican restaurant to grab a quick lunch, and as I ate my meal I came across a table of nurses wearing hospital scrubs.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, June 10, 2013: Long-term damage to health research from budget cuts  »