More than 150 nurses will vote Tuesday, December 11, on a new Tentative Agreement between the Minnesota Nurses Association and Douglas County Hospital.
Both sides had been at loggerheads over staffing issues and the rising cost of insurance benefits, but the stalemate broke when more than 30 nurses stood up a hospital board meeting, which equates to 1 for every 6 nurses affected attending.
Nurses delivered Thanksgiving-themed greeting cards signed by a majority of MNA members and with a message of thanks if management would negotiate on staffing and retention issues. The strategy and the strong showing seemed to turn the tide toward nurses, as hospital management asked for a meeting even though a mediation session had been planned as the next step for negotations. The new TA offers far more than management originally proposed including wage increases to offset the rising health insurance costs, more options in more insurance plans, and incentives to retain nurses.
Labor Representative Ben Fisher called the TA the result of a groundbreaking effort o
n the part of Alexandria RNs to show support for their bargaining team, acting together as one, and being engaged on all the issues.