Duluth Bargaining - SMDC Update (July 27) (Page 118)

Today was our seventh bargaining session with management of SMDC.

We  were able to share specifics with how safe staffing affects us and our patients. Management responded in full to all of our proposals other than economic. Their answer to pretty much everything we proposed was “No” or “We are not interested.”

Duluth RNs: Now is our time to get the same staffing language Twin City nurses have that helps them directly to advocate best for  patients.

One of our proposals would require management to pay for 15-minute breaks when we are unable to take them. If no nurse took 15-minute breaks that we are supposed to get, it would save the hospital $3,259,815 – the equivalent of 43 FTE’s. And if we never take a break we are giving the hospital $4,745 per year at an FTE. This is a lot of money we are losing and/or saving the hospital. The hospital’s response was that we need to take our breaks. In order to do that we need to have enough nurses to be able to take our breaks!

Our work so far to show management how serious and united we are is working. Today management announced they would be hiring 6.8 FTE’s for the ICU float pool. This is a direct response to our efforts letting management know what is happening to nurses and our patients due to our short staffing situation. They are starting to pay attention – yet it means nothing until we get staffing addressed in our legally binding union contract. Nurses in the metro have grid and/or matrix review, temporary unit closure to admissions and more that helps them advocate for their patients. We need it in Duluth as well!

Terry Bronniche

“In the newborn NICU we take care of the most fragile patients in the entire hospital that have their whole life in front of them. Adequate staffing allows us to do what we need to do to provide the care for these babies. A 10-minute episode can affect that child for the rest of his or her life.” – Terry Bronniche, Bargaining team, NICU St. Mary’s hospital.

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Today was our seventh bargaining session with management of SMDC.

We  were able to share specifics with how safe staffing affects us and our patients. Management responded in full to all of our proposals other than economic. Their answer to pretty much everything we proposed was “No” or “We are not interested.”

Duluth RNs: Now is our time to get the same staffing language Twin City nurses have that helps them directly to advocate best for  patients.

One of our proposals would require management to pay for 15-minute breaks when we are unable to take them. If no nurse took 15-minute breaks that we are supposed to get, it would save the hospital $3,259,815 – the equivalent of 43 FTE’s.
… Read more about: Duluth Bargaining – SMDC Update (July 27)  »

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Today was our seventh bargaining meeting with management of St. Luke’s hospital. In our meeting today it was made totally clear and the statement was made from management, “The buck stops here.” It stops with management. They did not want to give the rights in our contract that the board of nursing says we already have. We need the ability to say no to an unsafe assignment and if there are no nurses to take an admission safely, for the right in our contract to temporarily close the unit to admissions. We made it clear to management of our needs in our contract for safe patient care.
… Read more about: Duluth Bargaining Update – St. Luke’s (July 21)  »

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Today was our sixth negotiation session with management of SMDC.

It was our first day with a federal mediator. Management did not say that staffing is a problem at SMDC. We told two very heartfelt staffing stories and there was no acknowledgement of the severity of the problem this creates for us as nurses and our patients. We asked what we could do to convince management that staffing is a problem. We were told that staffing is not a problem.

“I won’t say there is a problem or there isn’t a problem.” Mary Beth Olson said in response to our staffing discussion.
… Read more about: Duluth Bargaining – SMDC (July 21 Update)  »

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The next scheduled MN Board of Nursing Practice Committee date is:

The meeting is being held on the 4th floor in the conference room.

This is the meeting the board has suggested might be the final prior to making recommendations on LPN models of practice to the full nursing board. If true, we really need a large turnout of MNA members (think informational picketing!!).

LPNs have been attending these meetings in increasing numbers.

Please make an effort to attend, and encourage your colleagues to come with.
… Read more about: Upcoming MNBON meetings – Please Attend if you can!!  »

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MNA experienced a problem with its email system on Tuesday July 13 starting around noon and extending into early Wednesday morning.  If you sent email to MNA during that time, please resend your messages or call MNA as we have only been able to recover some of the email for that period.  Email sent anytime after 7:45 am on Wednesday morning is not affected.  Thank you for your understanding and assistance.
… Read more about: Please note: MNA Email Problem earlier this week  »