Oct. 25, 2012
MNA members “Got the Red Out” this morning at an Arbitration meeting to show MNA solidarity against the uniform policy Allina is attempting to force on nurses. Allina implemented the uniform policy without bargaining with the union. This unilateral implementation is a glaring disregard for the obligation and respect to bargaining over mandatory subjects impacting nurses working conditions. Members stood together to greet the employer and the arbitrator to show them the power, support for one another and unity. Nurses from Allina system throughout the state as well as other MNA nurses came today. Message to Allina: You take on one MNA member; you take on ALL MNA members.
Read more and comment on Facebook:
Read Shellie Marvin’s Facebook comment the issue: →
“Despite nurses requesting to bargain, they refused. Our contract requires the empoyer to bargain over working conditions – past practice and policy was scrubs for nurses. What you wear to work is a working condition. The employer unliaterally decided we had to wear a uniform color and refused to bargain over it. The employer gave us $75 or less (based on FTE – I work FIVE 12 hr shifts every pay perid and I got $50) each to replace the scrubs we already owned. Most of us could not even buy scrubs for 2 shifts in a row – much less enough to get us through a “week” without doing laundry. When I work three 12 hour shifts I do not want to do laundry in between. When they changed housekeeping scurbs, they got multiple complete sets of scrubs. We would have been willing to DISCUSS but they were not. It is about respecting our contract conditions.”
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