Nurses at one of Minnesota’s largest hospitals have a new contract that makes significant improvements in compensation and working conditions conditions that will help recruit and retain nurses at the busy urban Level 1 Trauma facility.
Hennepin County Medical Center nurses overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new three-year contract in June.
“It was time for us to enrich our contract and provide some of the benefits enjoyed by the other metro hospitals,” said HCMC Co-Chair Michele Will, RN. “I think we made steps in that direction. We were able to secure education money for all nurses and increase the number of weekends off for nurses with ten years of seniority who work every other weekend. The nurses I have spoken to are very appreciative of these new benefits.”
Highlights include:
- Additional health and safety language;
- A standardized staffing process;
- Moving toward absolute parity with other Metro hospitals, including up to 3 percent wage increases in the first year;
- Locked-in insurance percentage for the life of the contract;
- Short-term and long-term disability insurance paid by the hospital;
- Education reimbursements for the first time.
“As a newer unit, we’re building on each contract,” said HCMC MNA Nurses Co-Chair Meg Ploog, RN. “We’re adding major improvements each time we bargain.”
HCMC organized with MNA in 2006.
Members say they’re happy to be part of MNA.
“I feel like we’re more protected with a contract,” said Sharon Jestus, RN. “We’re more vulnerable without a contract.”
“Get involved,” said RN Jimmy McMurray, who started filling out Concern for Safe Staffing forms when he saw that staffing levels on his floor were not allowing nurses to provide adequate care to patients. His actions showed other nurses that they could speak up and cause change. “If we don’t stand up for what’s right, no one will.”