What is a Union?
A labor union is a group of workers who come together to have a voice in their workplace and make positive change.
Without a union, the employer has 100% of the power to change your working conditions however they want at any time. With a union, you and your coworkers have a voice and a contract that upholds negotiated standards in the workplace including pay, benefits, and scheduling.
Nurses in non-union hospitals do not have the strengths or protections of nurses in union hospitals. Unionized nurses have guaranteed rights, a contract to hold their employer accountable to, and the knowledge that their workplace won’t be changed without nurses’ input.
MNA Support & Resources
When employers hear about a union drive by their employees, they often break the law by intimidating, punishing and even terminating workers to keep them from organizing.
MNA’s 22,000 members, plus our dedicated staff, will work with you every step of the way to help guide you through the process!
What do MNA’s Support and Resources Look Like?
- Dedicated staff organizers providing expertise and training on the ins and outs of organizing
- 22,000 nurses locally and 250,000 nationally to network with, learn from, and stand in solidarity with
- Creating and supplying materials to support organizing campaigns
- MNA incurs all the legal costs and will file all the legal paperwork required during the organizing process
- An organized structure once you win your union vote to get involved in and advocate for the nursing profession and patient care
Power in Numbers
MNA represents the majority of RNs working in hospitals in Minnesota and sets the standard for wages and benefits throughout the state. Standing up with their coworkers, MNA nurses across all four corners of the state have won life-changing contracts with industry-leading wages, job protections, and retirement benefits, including pensions. By setting a strong standard, even nurses who aren’t yet part of MNA see higher standards in their facilities. In recent years, more and more nurses are choosing to join MNA because they recognize that there’s power in numbers.
Nurses in non-union hospitals do not have the strengths or protections of nurses in union hospitals. Unionized nurses have guaranteed rights, a contract to hold their employer accountable to, and the knowledge that their workplace won’t be changed without nurses’ input.
Furthermore, forming a union levels the playing field between workers and management and gives nurses a way to address workplace issues meaningfully. Union nurses use their voices to bargain over employment terms and conditions, including but not limited to an employee’s job responsibilities, workdays, hours, breaks, vacation and sick days, pay, and benefits such as health insurance, life insurance, and retirement. Additionally, many nurses stand together to make improvements to their quality of care and quality of life at work, raising the standards for patients and nurses.
Contact mnaorganizing@mnnurses.org to learn more.