Important Announcement: 1 PM News Conference Today at MNA (Page 130)

Please GO HERE to watch today’s news conference LIVE online at 1:00 p.m.

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In: Duluth Bargaining

Update by Steve Strand, RN: Today was our second day of bargaining with SMDC. We greeted management with more nurses than they had ever seen before at bargaining!

To start things off, we were able to agree on some non controversial housekeeping issues. Following that, we presented our staffing proposals, which include:

  • Safe Nurse to Patient Ratios
  • Joint Development of a Staffing Plan between MNA and management that Incorporates Acuity and Nursing Intensity.
  • 10% Buffer Zone in critical care beds, non-critical care inpatient beds, and labor and delivery beds to admit ED and OB patients more efficiently.

    • … Read more about: Duluth Bargaining Update – SMDC (May 27)  »

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In: Bargaining

Just this week MNA received what we believe is proof that the Twin Cities Hospitals have indeed signed an illegal collusion agreement. What we believe this means is that the six hospital systems, all of whom are competing with each other for business, likely didn’t trust one another enough to let everyone bargain individually and come to a separate agreement with MNA. So we are alleging that they created and signed a multi-employer agreement that binds the employers together in negotiations and any potential settlement with the MNA. And the reason this is significant is two-fold: First is that months ago, before bargaining even began, MNA asked if the Hospitals wanted to do an “all for one” type labor contract and have all six systems bargain together at one table.
… Read more about: Still think Twin Cities Hospitals are telling you the truth?  »

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In: Bargaining, Hospitals, Labor Unions

May 26, 2010 Statement from the Minnesota Nurses Association
Today the Minnesota Nurses Association received formal requests from each of the six Twin Cities hospital systems to return to the bargaining table. MNA staff is working with our bargaining teams to schedule negotiation dates and times, along with the process of involving a federal mediator to attend the negotiations at the request of the hospitals.

We still believe there is time to reach an agreement with the Twin Cities hospitals before nurses conduct a one-day, unfair labor practice strike for patient safety. While the hospitals have stated their willingness to extend the current labor contract (which is set to expire on May 31) through June 30, 2010, we do not feel this measure is necessary in order to reach an agreement between the hospital systems and our nurses, nor do we believe it would improve the chances of a settlement.
… Read more about: May 26 Update  »