Allina Bargaining Update (May 5) (Page 139)

Allina RNs joined us as members of the negotiating team today to talk about our staffing proposal.  Those members who joined the team were Laura Joanis, Theresa Biles-Kraft, Cheryl Benson, Linda Bendix, Tabitha Newman, Lenae Haas, Melissa Buganski, Dawn Yetter, Liana Land, Georgine Malone, Cathy Johnson, Katy Nelson, David Vidmar, Mary Hoversten, Carol Larson, Linda Schafer, Patty Koenig, Priscilla Taylor, Hilda Makori-Anching, and Linda Schafer.  Each one of our members told stories of their work, patient assignments and shift experiences that addressed our staffing proposals.  Our proposal is as follows:

1. Budget all units at no less than 115% of capacity
2. Jointly develop a staffing plan
3. Incorporate patient acuity and nursing intensity
4. Prior to opening of any new units or service line.  Staffing plans will be jointly approved.
5. Budgeting implementation of staffing language does not permit the hospital to jeopardize patient care by changing any of non-RN health care workers
6. Charge nurses will not be assigned primary responsibility for patients during the time they are working in a charge capacity (not part of number of nurses required to staff a unit/shift)
7. Each patient shall have a RN who is assigned to care for that patient
8. Language to address compliance and public notice re: staff levels

Our fellow nurses supported our proposals with impassioned appeals.  Lenae Haas, of Mercy Hospital, opened with a statement that asked management to “listen to the nurses!”  She continued to push for our staffing language by saying that “this proposal is for the patients.”  Liana Land, from United, said “I am tired of the inadequate care we are mandated to give.”  Theresa Biles-Kraft followed with, “Let me decide what is right for my patients.”  One nurse talked about how she is bullied and badgered, and that she is not allowed to make a critical assessment and judgment about the staffing needs on her unit.  Their stories demonstrated the need for all of us why we are negotiating a staffing proposal.

For the first time, after six weeks of bargaining, we succeeded in getting the employer to discuss our proposal on staffing.  Unfortunately, it is the 2^nd to last week of bargaining and the employer asked questions that demonstrated they did not understand our staffing proposal or what nurses really care about back in the facilities.  Also, the employer grossly overestimated the cost of our staffing proposal further demonstrating they did not understand the proposal.

As we expected, management has begun to modify and drop some of their concessionary proposals.  They are dropping proposals because we are winning this campaign.  Nurses have mobilized around the need to protect our patients and move our profession forward and NOT just settle for the status quo.

The employer did say no to 10 of 14 MNA proposals said that they would defer the remaining proposals.

Management also made a wage proposal of 0% (first year), 1% (second year), and 2% (third year).  This is especially insulting considering nurses around the Twin Cities received faxes on their units advertising SCAB positions that will pay between $5,000 and $9,000 per week, which will cost between $60 Million and $90 Million Metro-Wide!

12,800 NURSES ARE WINNING!

The employer is beginning to move and we must continue to apply pressure so that they will remove the concessions, agree to our proposals to protect our patients, and move our profession forward.  It is more important than ever that you join us on the informational picket line TOMORROW, May 6^th (Abbott and Mercy) and May 12^th (United and Fairview Southdale) and join us to vote on May 19^th at the River Center in Saint Paul.