Press Release: Albert Lea, Austin nurses will vote on Mayo offer on job security (Page 43)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org
Contact:  Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

 

(St. Paul) – August 28, 2017 – MNA nurses at the Mayo hospitals in Albert Lea and Austin will vote August 31 on Mayo’s offer on issues resulting from the decision to disrupt patients and nurses in both hospitals and close most inpatient services in Albert Lea.Nurses concluded Effects Bargaining with Mayo today, and reached agreement on a number of issues, including patient care training for nurses who move to a new unit, job protection, seniority, retention, and severance.

“Nurses continue to strongly oppose the changes to our hospitals, but we needed to work out some major care delivery and contractual questions to minimize the impact on patients and nurses,” said MNA Albert Lea Chair Kathy Lehman. “It will help ensure that nurses receive the training they need as Mayo implements its plan to disrupt patient care and put profits over patients.”

“The offer gives nurses options for taking their seniority with them when applying for and accepting jobs in each other’s hospitals in a fair and orderly manner during a limited timeframe,” said MNA Austin Chair Kathryn Martin.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

Contact:  Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

 

(St. Paul) – August 28, 2017 – MNA nurses at the Mayo hospitals in Albert Lea and Austin will vote August 31 on Mayo’s offer on issues resulting from the decision to disrupt patients and nurses in both hospitals and close most inpatient services in Albert Lea.Nurses concluded Effects Bargaining with Mayo today, and reached agreement on a number of issues, including patient care training for nurses who move to a new unit, job protection, seniority, retention, and severance.
… Read more about: Press Release: Albert Lea, Austin nurses will vote on Mayo offer on job security  »

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In: Allina, Healthcare, Home, Insurance, Jason Lewis, Politics

By Jean Forman, RN

MNA Member

 

I’m a nurse at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. I’m also MNA tri-chair for Abbott and for Phillips Eye Institute. I recently attended a rally at an elected representative’s home to support expanding Medicaid. My journey from a political bystander to an activist has been accelerated by the Allina Metro strike of 2016. I learned so much about how legislation can affect me at my workplace and more significantly how the right legislation can impact the public good. I have been supported at MNA by so many people to get active. So I have tried a few things over the last few years, but I would say the strike and the election last year gave me the impetus to really get out there.
… Read more about: Political Activism and Its Many Forms  »

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In: Home, Hospitals, Member Blog, Patient Safety, Standards of Care

By Juli Uzlik, RN

MNA Member

It’s amazing how just the smallest change can have the biggest effects on registered nurses and their patients.  At my hospital, Fairview Southdale in Edina, a temporary nursing consultant came in and decreased the staffing in the Heart Center by one nurse per shift. The hospital has taken away one charge nurse where there have been two since the inception of the unit.

Not a big deal, right?  Still have a charge nurse.  Not really.  The Heart Center is laid out in two separate sections with literally a wall and a hallway between the two sections. 
… Read more about: Brain Drain  »

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Barb Brady
(office) 651-414-2849
(cell) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

Rick Fuentes
(office) 651-414-2863
(cell) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

(Rochester) –   August 10, 2017 – Minnesota Nurses Association members are standing with Albert Lea residents fighting Mayo Health System’s efforts to move most inpatient services more than 20 miles away from Albert Lea to Austin.

Nurses joined residents on buses to travel from Albert Lea to Mayo’s corporate headquarters in Rochester on August 10.

More than 200 protestors filled the streets around the Mayo Clinic in Rochester to show Mayo they want to keep care for local patients at their local hospital.
… Read more about: Press Release: MNA Nurses Stand With Albert Lea Residents Fighting To Keep Local Hospital  »

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In: Action, Elections, Home

By Jackie O’Shea

MNA Political Organizer

In a recent MNA staff meeting, Executive Director Rose Roach told us “every election cycle, we say this is the most important election ever, but that’s because every election is important.” I couldn’t agree more. In the almost 10 years I’ve worked in the labor movement, there has never been an upcoming election in which the results wouldn’t have had an impact on workers and families. Whether the top issue is education, healthcare reform, union rights, or a balanced budget, there is always something on the line.  The open race for Minnesota Governor in 2018 is no different, with current Governor Mark Dayton not running for re-election, and a plethora of candidates who have announced they are seeking the office.
… Read more about: Who Should MNA Endorse?  »

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In: Home, Hospitals, Press Releases

$900 million given to insurance companies gone

For Immediate Release

Contact:  Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(St. Paul) – July 31, 2017 – The newly announced insurance rates for the 2018 individual market show that the current healthcare system continues to be volatile and can only be temporarily stabilized with an infusion of taxpayer dollars.  As a result, Minnesotans are still wondering whether they will pay more or less in 2018 versus 2017, even though the Minnesota Legislature and Governor Dayton pushed through a 25 percent discount in 2017 and propped up insurance companies with a new program, called “reinsurance.”

“Reinsurance appears to be a tourniquet for the individual market. 
… Read more about: Press Release: Minnesotans Still Not Getting Relief from Rising Insurance Rates  »

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Barb Brady
(office) 651-414-2849
(cell) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

Rick Fuentes
(office) 651-414-2863
(cell) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

(Buffalo) –   August 3, 2017 – MNA nurses at Buffalo Hospital voted for a new contract with Allina Health on August 2, after standing firm in opposition to proposals from Allina Health that would have interfered with nurses’ ability to safely care for patients.

“We negotiated a contract that recognizes the important work nurses do,” said MNA Buffalo Chair Debra Kosciolek, RN. “Nurses signed petitions, marched in a rainy Buffalo Days parade, and were prepared to hold an informational picket to fight for a fair contract.”

The new three-year contract does not contain a proposed scheduling system that would have harmed the hospital’s ability to recruit and retain nurses and disrupted RNs’ scheduled time off.
… Read more about: Press Release: Buffalo Hospital nurses ratify tentative agreement  »

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In: Education, Home, Labor Unions, Minnesota Nurses Association

By Barb Brady

MNA Communications Specialist

The excitement is building for MNA’s 2017 Convention and House of Delegates Oct. 15-17 in Rochester.

MNA nurses from throughout Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Iowa will gather for three days of inspiration, learning, planning MNA’s future – and fun!

This year’s theme is “Organize. Agitate. Educate.”

The schedule is packed with activities to empower delegates to return home with the skills and knowledge to organize, agitate, and educate your colleagues for the challenges we face in the next year.

Nurses will be treated to a special presentation of a play by Michael Milligan on Oct.
… Read more about: Organize. Agitate. Educate.  »

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For Immediate Release

Contact:  Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

Contact: Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

(Bismarck, N.D.) – August 1, 2017 – Registered nurses at CHI St. Alexius Health are one step closer to having a union voice in their workplace to speak up for patient care and issues that affect staff.

On July 31, nurses filed for an election for nurses to vote to be represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association. RNs filed authorization cards signed by an overwhelming majority of nurses with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
… Read more about: Press Release: St. Alexius Nurses File For Union Representation  »

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Barb Brady
(office) 651-414-2849
(cell) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org

Rick Fuentes
(office) 651-414-2863
(cell) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org

 

(Buffalo) –   July 28, 2017 – MNA nurses at Buffalo Hospital reached a tentative agreement with Allina Health on July 27, averting the need for a planned informational picket.

“Allina Health saw that nurses were united in opposition to a proposed scheduling system, and agreed to changes,” said MNA Buffalo Chair Debra Kosciolek, RN. “Nurses negotiated a fair contract that allows us to continue providing patients with the care they need and expect.”

Now that a tentative contract agreement has been reached, nurses are canceling the informational picket scheduled for Aug.
… Read more about: Press Release: MNA nurses at Buffalo Hospital reach tentative agreement; informational picket canceled  »