Twin Cities Hospitals & The Great Recession: Fiscal Restraint Goes AWOL (Page 123)

Just came across an interesting read from MedCity News on the financial missteps several Twin Cities Hospitals took during the recession of 2008-09 – specifically in terms of trying to expand too fast, borrowing big money and gambling (and losing) in the stock market. Not exactly the picture of financial restraint and prudence one might expect from non-profit entities charged with ensuring their customers’ health and well-being comes first and foremost. What do you think? (Click here to read the story.)

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In: Healthcare, Hospitals

Just came across an interesting read from MedCity News on the financial missteps several Twin Cities Hospitals took during the recession of 2008-09 – specifically in terms of trying to expand too fast, borrowing big money and gambling (and losing) in the stock market. Not exactly the picture of financial restraint and prudence one might expect from non-profit entities charged with ensuring their customers’ health and well-being comes first and foremost. What do you think? (Click here to read the story.)
… Read more about: Twin Cities Hospitals & The Great Recession: Fiscal Restraint Goes AWOL  »

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In: Bargaining, Nurses Strike

NOTE: The post below was sent by the spouse of an MNA RN to the Star Tribune as a letter to the editor.

“Do justice.”

These words from Isaiah keep coming to me as I read your joint article in in today’s Star Tribune.

Do you feel your coverage has done justice to both sides?

Sadly, I don’t.  I freely admit, as the spouse of a 30 plus year MNA nurse, I have a side.  I proudly walked the picket line with her last month.  Which side are you on?  
… Read more about: Star Tribune: Do Justice  »

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In: Bargaining

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moxuMPctWXs]

VIEW DETAILS OF THE SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT

The short version summary of this agreement is that all the hospitals’ takebacks and concessions are GONE, the pension is untouched and all the benefits of your current contract (including MNA Health Insurance, etc.) remain in place as they always have been. In essence your entire contract has been completely protected and preserved. We will be having an all-member vote on July 6th from 6:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. to officially ratify the contract. Voting will happen at two locations – the MNA Office in St. Paul and Park Center High School in Brooklyn Park.
… Read more about: Breaking News: Settlement Agreement Reached  »

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In: Duluth Bargaining

Today was our fifth negotiation meeting with management of SMDC. Our current contract expires at midnight. Management continued with their theme of NO!

Three main things happened today:
1.No progress, measured by…
2.No responses to our staffing proposal
3.No economic proposal. (Note: The MNA economic proposal includes fair wage increases, fair pension contributions and health insurance.)

“I am sad and depressed that such a beautiful Duluth day was wasted in negotiations as no forward progress was made today.  Management has been absolutely non-responsive and it appears they are stalling to see what happens in the Metro Area.  At out last meeting we informed Management that today we would have the Economic Proposal as our primary topic.  
… Read more about: Duluth Bargaining – SMDC Update (June 30)  »

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In: Duluth Bargaining

I live and work in northern Minnesota, Duluth to be specific.   I can appreciate the occasional grand snow storm, one in which limited nurses and other staff is able to get to the hospital to work.  We call those days “snow days” and only the basics are truly expected to be done with the limited staff available.  The patients seem to recognize the hardship and in part take in the experience with understanding.

However… when the majority of shifts we work feels like a “snow day” and it has become more of the norm to run like crazy all shift and consistently not have enough staff to care for the patients, we are teetering on a disaster waiting to happen.  
… Read more about: My Story: Renee Ebel, RN  »

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In: Labor Unions, Nurses Strike

You Can’t Care for Patients with Bayonets: Lessons From History

As the contract impasse between the Twin Cities Hospitals (TCH) and the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) has heated up, journalists, commentators, and interested bystanders have looked increasingly to history for insights and lessons.  The participation of more than 12,000 nurses in the one-day strike of June 10 was widely described as the “largest” nurses’ strike in American history.  As the nurses voted on June 18 to authorize a second, open-ended strike, the search for historical references expanded.  In revisiting the Minneapolis Teamsters’ strike of 1934 and the Hormel strike of 1985-86, journalist Betsy Sundquist (“Possibility of Nurse Strike Recalls Old Confrontations,” FINANCE AND COMMERCE, June 18, 2010) invoked the shibboleth of the National Guard in asking whether Governor Pawlenty might order their intervention in a prolonged nurses’ strike. 
… Read more about: Guest Post: Labor Expert Peter Rachleff  »