Press Release: Action-packed MNA Convention kicks off Oct. 16th (Page 117)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: John Nemo, MNA, 651-414-2863

ST. PAUL, Minnesota (October 14, 2011) – The Minnesota Nurses Association will usher in an action-packed week of organizational changes, nursing practice advocacy and visits from high-profile guests including Gov. Mark Dayton at its annual convention Oct. 16-19 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in downtown St. Paul.

Hundreds of nurses from across the state will gather to swear in a newly-elected MNA President and Board of Directors, debate resolutions related to RN safety in the workplace and publicly advocate for a Financial Transaction Tax on Wall Street as part of National Nurses United’s “Main Street Contract for America.”

“Nurses make a difference because we see things differently,” MNA President Linda Hamilton said. “We see the angst behind a smile. We see the will to live under pain. We see the family. We see the pocketbook. We see the history and the hopes – and we fight like hell for all of it – for all of them who depend on us, who deserve human touch, who deserve to truly be seen, not just counted.”

Convention highlights will include:

• Healthcare whistleblower David Feinwachs speaking at 3 p.m. Sunday on “HMOs and Taxpayers – the $3 Billion Question”
• Gov. Mark Dayton addressing nurses at 9 a.m. on Monday
• A special presentation on the “Main Street Contract for America” and how it has served as a precursor to the current “Occupy Wall Street” movement, at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday
• A public action/demonstration on the streets of downtown St. Paul by hundreds of Minnesota nurses in support of a Financial Transaction Tax on Wall Street.

NOTE: All of the above events will be broadcast LIVE online via MNA’s UStream Channel.

Formed in 1905, the Minnesota Nurses Association represents more than 20,000 nurses in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa. MNA is also a founding member of National Nurses United, the nation’s largest union of Registered Nurses, which represents 170,000 RNs across the United States.