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Nurses and voters across Minnesota will have the opportunity to exercise their right to vote on two occasions in the coming months. Minnesota’s primary election day is on Tuesday, August 11 for state and some municipal races. In this election, voters will choose which candidates will end up on the ballot in the November election.

Polls will be open if you choose to vote in-person; although with COVID-19, many officials are encouraging voters to request an absentee ballot and vote by mail. To vote by mail, you will need to request that an absentee ballot be mailed to you. You do not need to be registered to vote to apply.
… Read more about: Minnesota’s primary election day is August 11  »

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In: Press Releases, Uncategorized

Only a Single Payer, Medicare for All System Can Cut Costs

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

Amber Smigiel
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
amber.smigiel@mnnurses.org
​

(St. Paul) – January 10, 2019 – Minnesota nurses are calling for legislators to take the advice of nurses, doctors, and now healthcare researchers to save healthcare by streamlining the system into a “single payer” program, such as Medicare for All that would cut administrative costs by 80 percent.

A recent report published in the Annals of Internal Medicine showed that the U.S.
… Read more about: The Prescription for Minnesota is to Streamline Healthcare  »

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In: Elections, Home, Press Releases, Uncategorized

For Immediate Release

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

(St. Paul) – April 24, 2019 – The Board of Directors of the Minnesota Nurses Association has voted to endorse Emily Larson for a second term as mayor of Duluth at their April meeting.

“Nurses are proud to support Emily Larson again,” said Mary C. Turner, president of MNA.  “Nurse leaders have witnessed Larson’s continued dedication in ensuring workers are treated with dignity and respect by their employers, including advocating for labor rights, the right of people to organize, and good faith negotiations.”

Mayor Emily Larson participated in a meet and greet with Duluth nurses on April 16 to show her support for those who are entering into contract negotiations with Essentia and St.
… Read more about: Press Release: Minnesota Nurses Endorse Emily Larson for Another Term as Duluth Mayor  »

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In: Home, Press Releases, Uncategorized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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

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

 

(St. Paul) –   September 6, 2018 – An arbitrator ruled on September 5 that Children’s Hospitals in Minneapolis and St. Paul violated MNA nurses’ contracts in 2017 by unilaterally requiring part-time nurses to pay high a higher percentage of health insurance premiums than full-time nurses.

“Nurses did not stand for Children’s blatant attempts to divide our membership on a critical issue like health insurance,” MNA President Mary C.
… Read more about: Press Release: MNA nurses win major arbitration decision over health insurance  »

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In: HMO, Home, Insurance, Legislative Policy, Uncategorized

by Rose Roach

MNA Executive Director

As an organization representing 21,000 healthcare professionals, the vast majority of whom are registered nurses, MNA has long advocated for reforms that make healthcare more affordable and accessible to patients who need it because the safety and care of patients is our number one priority. As part of that advocacy we have been calling for regulations that hold Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) accountable for public tax dollars they receive to provide coverage for those who need it most.

Yet with billions going to the HMOs every year to administer public programs, the public has no information about how much of that money is actually providing care to patients who rely on MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance, and how much is going into CEO salaries, reserves, marketing and lobbying.
… Read more about: Make HMOs Accountable for their Public Funds  »

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In: Home, Nurses, Press Releases, Uncategorized

Contact:  Rick Fuentes

(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.orgBarbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – December 16, 2016 – Nurses are once again the most honest and ethical profession in the U.S., according to a Gallup poll released today.Nurses’ honesty and ethics were rated very high or high by 84 percent of respondents in the annual survey.

They were followed by pharmacists, medical doctors, engineers, and dentists.

It’s the 15th year in a row that Americans rated nurses as the most trusted profession.

“The public gets it – nurses put patients first,” said MNA President Mary Turner.
… Read more about: Press Release: Nurses most honest and ethical profession for 15th consecutive year  »

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In: Allina, Home, Press Releases, Uncategorized

Nurses Will be Off ‘Strike Status’ by Sunday Morning

For Immediate Release

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) – October 13, 2016 – A majority of the striking nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association have voted in favor of the tentative agreement with Allina Health reached on October 11.

Nurses from Abbott Northwestern, Mercy, Phillips Eye Institute, United, and Unity hospitals voted to ratify the contract today.

“This contract represents compromise and strength by the nurses,” said MNA Executive Director Rose Roach.
… Read more about: Press Release: Nurses Ratify Contract with Allina Health  »

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In: Home, Hospitals, Nurses, Politics, Uncategorized

By Laura Sayles

MNA Government Affairs Specialist

With exactly two weeks left in the Legislative Session, there’s a lot left to accomplish in a short amount of time. None of the major spending bills have been ironed out and the parties that need to agree (House, Senate, and Governor) are far apart on their Session priorities. When looking through the overviews of the documents that will get us through the end of Session, the phrase “no comparable provision” is a common refrain.

 

Bonding bill – The Governor proposed funding $1.4 billion in projects; House Republicans, who haven’t yet released their bill, want around $600 million.
… Read more about: Behind the Scenes Look at the Capitol  »

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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, 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  »