From MNA Bargaining Team Member Kevin Campbell , RNC, Fairview Riverside
Today, we continued the dance of immobility. Management continues to ignore discussing topics important to staffing, patient safety and the MNA insurance plan. Your team continues to struggle with getting the hospitals to see that we are very serious about our proposals and very serious about safe patient care. Again we heard the mantra of being stewards of a shrinking revenue source and needing to have everything equal among all employees. (Except maybe the CEO!)
The hospital did present our team with a trio of options, all of which required your team to concede several major issues, while the hospital would give up one or two smaller issues. We could choose door #1 or door #2 or door #3 or all three, in which we would essentially give up all issues that all of you asked us to bring forth at these negotiations.
The hospital was dismissive of our insurance proposals; once again the mini homily about being stewards of diminishing resources. Our “nonprofit” hospital continues to offer “take backs” in order to increase their profits. Fairview did have a profit of $155,000,000.00 in the first three quarters of 2009.
We commit to all of you to stay focused and to complete the job you elected us to.