Unions (Page 2)

nurse workplace violence

By Jackie Russell, RN JD

Nursing Practice and Regulatory Affairs Specialist

 

On the CDC website there is a Workplace Violence Prevention for Nurses Course (CDC Course No. WB2908–NIOSH Pub. No. 2013-155). It’s free. It’s interactive. (here’s the link to attend:  https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/violence/training_nurses.html) It’s designed to “help healthcare workers better understand the scope and nature of violence in the workplace.” And it hasn’t been updated since 2016 (last reviewed, 2017).

If you take the course, you will learn the definition, types, and prevalence of violence; workplace violence consequences; risk factors for type II and III violence; prevention strategies for organizations; prevention strategies for nurses; and a post event response.
… Read more about: What Is Workplace Violence Prevention?  »

By Julie Anderson, RN

Governmental Affairs Commissioner

 

There is a lot at stake in the upcoming midterm elections. Like many other nurses, I was excited to find out that a fellow nurse and an inspiring leader, Erin Murphy, was running for governor. I thrusted myself into the campaign and volunteered with the Nurses for Erin campaign. I did phonebanks, door knocks, attended meetings, had face to face interactions, attended the DFL convention as a delegate, and, of course, I voted for Erin for Minnesota governor in the primaries. After the primary went the other way without Erin Murphy representing the DFL on the ballot, I suddenly found myself asking “what now?” I realized, though, that my work was far from over.
… Read more about: Newly Political Nurse Now Permanently Active  »

From the MNA Board of Directors:

The MNA Board of Directors is hopeful it can increase funding in the following areas if members approve the dues structure change. While we would have to still determine exact amounts, the Board is committed to using the extra funding in the following ways:

1. Increase resources that can be used towards achieving safe staffing
2. Additional funds to be dedicated to the strike fund
3. Expand member resources related to defense of nurse’s legal and contractual rights whether through an arbitration or
administrative process
4 Establish a member release time budget for nurses interested in helping build the union by participating in various union campaigns, including contract, organizing, legislative, and electoral, which would allow them to do so without being economically impacted
5.
… Read more about: Yes to Invest  »

By Katie Gjertson

MNA Political Coordinator

 

Minnesota’s Primary Election is right around the corner! Eligible voters from every corner of the state will have their chance to cast their ballot in support of the candidates they believe line up with their values, their issues and their vision for the future of Minnesota. Primary elections are our opportunity, as voters, to shape the ticket to reflect what we want it to be in November. Let’s get out the vote for the 2018 Minnesota primary!

Never voted in a Primary Election before? Here are the top ten things you need to know before you head to the polls.
… Read more about: The Top 10 Things You Need to Know to Be a Primary Voter  »

By Megan Gavin

MNA Education Specialist

Somebody described an excellent MNA chairperson like an octopus with arms everywhere reaching out to nurses and solving problems. As the highest level of MNA leadership within facilities, the MNA chairperson is the lifeblood of our organization. While MNA chairs do a hundred things before breakfast, their most important role is to ensure representation of bargaining unit members. Chairs facilitate the LMC process, negotiating with management throughout the duration of the contract. When members have complaints or concerns, it’s the chair who will hear first; it’s the chair who bears the brunt of frustrations; and they also lend a shoulder to cry on while listening to a nurse’s heart-breaking circumstances.
… Read more about: The State of the Union: MNA Chair Leadership Retreat  »

Franklin Street Bakery rally

By Cameron Fure

MNA Political Organizer

It’s Super Bowl week, and the mayhem has swept up the Twin Cities. The whole region is sprucing up and getting ready for the big game. It’s our chance to bask in the spotlight, and host one of the largest sporting events in the world. The North Star state is known the world over for its hospitality, but there’s a few things that visitors do not know. The story of the Franklin Street Bakery workers isn’t likely to appear in any halftime commercial.

Owner Wayne Kostroski wants to be known as a philanthropist, business mogul, and model citizen.
… Read more about: Taste of Justice  »

new challenges

By Jean Forman

MNA Member

This new year will be a pivotal year in many ways for union membership. There are two crucial events intersecting in the months ahead with the potential to vastly alter our union safety net as we know it.

First, the US Supreme Court will be hearing Janus v. AFSCME. This case threatens public sector union membership. A ruling in favor of the plaintiff, Janus, would eliminate the ability of these unions to collect representational fees from employees who choose not to join the union but still receive its protection and services.
… Read more about: A New Year and New Challenges  »

By Cameron Fure

MNA Political Organizer

As consumers, we have considerable power with where we choose to spend our dollars. Corporations and businesses respond to consumer demands and market trends by changing their product mix and how they deliver services to their customers. Here’s what we can do to ensure our hard-earned dollars support fairness and equality in the workplace.

For starters, we all gotta eat, but most of us don’t give much thought about which grocery store we support beyond their prices or product selection. As with most things in life, not all grocery stores are created equal when it comes to how they treat their workers.
… Read more about: Shopping with Our Hearts and Minds  »