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 »
Put Nurses in the Spotlight This Summer
Attention MNA Members
The summer months offer a great opportunity for nurses to enhance our visibility as an organization and a profession. We encourage you to connect with the public by participating in area events in your local community. Think of booths at the county or local fair, a 4th of July parade, organized sports tournaments, community festival or any fun activity that allows nurses to proactively advocate about issues that directly impact patients and families who might need our care.
MNA will provide giveaways and message banners. You need to organize the onsite crew and handle all other arrangements.
… Read more about: Parades, Fairs, Festivals and Nurses »
Methodist Hospital PACU nurses recently celebrated a win that illustrates how working together and taking action can improve patient care in our hospitals.
After management denied requests for additional staff to replace nurses out on leave, Methodist PACU nurses circulated a petition and gathered the signatures of 100 percent of their fellow nurses on the unit. They submitted the petition to the employer and within hours the employer notified MNA that they would bring in agency help to improve staffing and would post the position for a permanent replacement in the coming weeks.
“We’ve got to staff our unit. Our contract says we’re back up calls, not first call,” said Jean Adomaitis, RN, in the Recovery Unit.
… Read more about: Methodist Nurses win Staffing Improvements »
LABOR UPDATES
CEO Pay Gap Up 1000% Since 1950 Today Fortune 500 CEOs make 204 times regular workers on average, Bloomberg found. The ratio is up from 120-to-1 in 2000, 42-to-1 in 1980 and 20-to-1 in 1950.
Worldwide May Day Rallies Thousands of low-paid workers are rallying in the streets on May Day to demand better pay and improved working conditions a week after a Bangladesh building collapse that was a grim reminder of how lax safety regulations make work a danger in poor countries.
Health Care Dominates Highest Paying Jobs (no surprise: nurses excluded) in America Anesthesiologists top the list with average annual pay of $232,830 as of 2012, the latest year for which official figures are available from the U.S.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, May 1, 2013: May Day! »
Standards of Care Act Update
The Standards of Care Act, MNA’s bill to establish patient assignment limits for nurses passed the Government Operations committee 8-7. The committee passed an amendment to the bill to exempt Critical Access Hospitals (rural hospitals with 25 or fewer beds that meet certain federal criteria) from the legislation. MNA continues to believe that all patients in Minnesota, regardless of their geographic location, are entitled to the same standard of safe nursing care.
In the House, the bill is now headed for the Health and Human Services Policy Committee. We will alert you when a hearing date is scheduled.
… Read more about: MNA Legislative Update, March 8, 2013 »
NOTES ON NURSING
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, February 20, 2013: Sleepy Eye Nurses Join MNA »
Sleepy Eye Nurses Vote For Union Representation with Minnesota Nurses Association24 registered and licensed practical nurses at Sleepy Eye Medical Center have the power of 20,000 additional voices at their workplace with today’s decision to join the Minnesota Nurses Association. Leaders are confident the move will lead to better and safer care for patients of the critical access hospital located in south central Minnesota. “With a contract behind us, we can better advocate for our patients,” said Naomi Freyholtz, RN.
Nurses were stirred to organize in part because skilled colleagues have been exiting the facility due to frustration with management practices regarding scheduling and staffing.
HEALTH CARE
Poor Performance Means Less Medicare Reimbursement for Most Minnesota Hospitals Medicare is revamping its payment system for hospitals as part of an effort to make them accountable on quality. The latest change will give bonuses and penalties to hospitals based on how well they performed on quality measures.
Health Care and Pursuit of a Profit Make a Poor Mix A shareholder might even applaud the creativity with which profit-seeking institutions go about seeking profit. But the consequences of this pursuit might not be so great for other stakeholders in the system — patients, for instance.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, January 9, 2012: Medicare Penalizes MN hospitals; For profit=poor care »
HEALTH CARE
Is Mayo Gaming the System? The CEO of St. Peter’s River’s Edge Hospital and two area physicians have asked the Attorney General to investigate Mayo Clinic Health Systems in St. Peter and Mankato, alleging its doctors and staff are misinforming patients in an effort to funnel patients away from smaller community hospitals and toward Mayo-affiliated facilities.
Advocates for Mental Health Have Momentum After Conn. Massacre Advocates say the most important objective is strengthening community-based mental health services. They are also focused on early diagnosis and treatment of ill children, and efforts to erase the stigma that surrounds mental health problems.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, December 20, 2012: Mayo games?; 11K new jobs »
LABOR UPDATES
More Young Adults Are Homeless Across the country, tens of thousands of underemployed and jobless young people, many with college credits or work histories, are struggling to house themselves in the wake of the recession, which has left workers between the ages of 18 and 24 with the highest unemployment rate of all adults.
RNs Picket at UMass “12 Days of Grinchmas” The daily picketing, which began on Dec. 10 and will continue through Dec. 21, is being held for one hour each day. Nurses will hold Grinch-themed signs and candles, and sing some special UMass-oriented Grinchmas carols as part of their protest against deteriorating staffing conditions and management’s lack of concern for its patients and employees.
… Read more about: MNA NewsScan, December 19, 2012: Hospital lays off hundreds and still renovates; For-profit prison operator sued for prisoner death »
More than 150 nurses voted on Tuesday, December 11 to ratify a new contract agreement between the Minnesota Nurses Association and Douglas County Hospital.
Both sides had been at loggerheads over staffing issues and the rising cost of insurance benefits, but the stalemate broke when more than 30 nurses stood up a hospital board meeting, which equates to 1 for every 6 nurses affected attending.
Nurses delivered Thanksgiving-themed greeting cards signed by a majority of MNA members and with a message of thanks if management would negotiate on staffing and retention issues. The strategy and the strong showing seemed to turn the tide toward nurses, as hospital management asked for a meeting even though a mediation session had been planned as the next step for negotations.
… Read more about: MNA Nurses at Douglas County Hospital Ratify Contract »