Sandstone nurses vote for their first contract (Page 66)

Sandstone Sign

Essentia Health-Sandstone nurses have a new contract – their first.

Members approved a new four-year contract earlier this month, following two years of organizing and negotiating.

Sandstone nurses organized right after Essentia bought the hospital in 2012.

“We are very excited to have a contract with language that ensures safe staffing, addresses on-call shifts, and gives nurses a stronger voice in our workplace,” said bargaining unit MNA Co-Chair Erin Olson, RN. “The feedback from fellow nurses has been very positive.”

The four-year contract includes:

  • Wage increases of 11 percent over the four years;
  • Orientation and training language modeled on metro nurses’ contracts;
  • On-call pay raise from $4 per hour to the minimum wage;
  • Reimbursement raise from $400 to $700 for continuing education;
  • 401(k) contributions from 3 percent to 7 percent.

“We are most happy to have a voice and solidarity in our dealings with management from now on,” said Olson.

 

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In: Bargaining, Minnesota Nurses Association

Sandstone Sign

Essentia Health-Sandstone nurses have a new contract – their first.

Members approved a new four-year contract earlier this month, following two years of organizing and negotiating.

Sandstone nurses organized right after Essentia bought the hospital in 2012.

“We are very excited to have a contract with language that ensures safe staffing, addresses on-call shifts, and gives nurses a stronger voice in our workplace,” said bargaining unit MNA Co-Chair Erin Olson, RN. “The feedback from fellow nurses has been very positive.”

The four-year contract includes:

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In: Activism, Minnesota Nurses Association, National Nurses United

National Nurses United

 

Media Advisory, Photo Opportunity                                   July 18, 2014
Contact: Liz Jacobs, RN, 510-435-7674, Bill Gallagher, 818-355-8691, or Sarah Cecile, 510-541-9570

Big March and Rally Today in Detroit to Protest Water Shutoffs by City:  ‘Turn On the Water, Tax Wall Street’

Responding to the controversial decision of Detroit and Michigan officials to shut off water for tens of thousands of city residents, a broad coalition of national, international, and Detroit area organizations will hold a major protest march and rally today in Detroit.

Marchers will voice support for the many in Detroit who have been calling for a declaration of a health care emergency in the city and call for an immediate moratorium on the water shutoffs and restoration of water service to those who have had their water cut off.
… Read more about: Nurses: Water Shut-off Measure in Detroit Endangers Public Health  »

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In: Bargaining, Minnesota Nurses Association

Nurses at one of Minnesota’s largest hospitals have a new contract that makes significant improvements in compensation and working conditions conditions that will help recruit and retain nurses at the busy urban Level 1 Trauma facility.

Hennepin County Medical Center nurses overwhelmingly voted in favor of a new three-year contract in June.

“It was time for us to enrich our contract and provide some of the benefits enjoyed by the other metro hospitals,” said HCMC Co-Chair Michele Will, RN. “I think we made steps in that direction.  We were able to secure education money for all nurses and increase the number of weekends off for nurses with ten years of seniority who work every other weekend.
… Read more about: HCMC contract builds on success  »

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In: Bargaining, Minnesota Nurses Association

Nurses at Fairview Lakes Medical Center in Wyoming, MN, are fighting for contract advancements to protect patients, recruit and retain exceptional nurses, and to stop management efforts to take back hard-fought compensation and benefits.

Negotiations officially began in June, with management proposing to deny health insurance coverage and other benefits to almost a dozen nurses who work half time,  increase mandatory low-need days by 50 percent, and continue inequitable pay differentials between clinic and hospital nurses.

“These proposals are offensive and unrealistic,” said Fairview Lakes MNA Co-Chair Sandie Anderson, RN. “Management is treating nurses as second-class citizens.”

Nurses are asking management to make a commitment to patients to ensure there will be adequate staff to care for them and to personally explain to patients if staffing falls below planned-for levels.
… Read more about: Fairview Lakes fights 'offensive' proposals  »

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In: Minnesota Nurses Association, Patient Safety Standards

nursepatient782014

A recent arbitrator’s ruling makes the case for minimum safe patient standards in every Minnesota hospital.

Nurses at Sleepy Eye Medical Center in western Minnesota made a seemingly simple request during negotiations for their first contract: agree to a staffing plan that clearly sets out base staffing standards.

The hospital refused, so nurses took the case to arbitration – and won.

“We asked that the existing grid be put into writing in order to improve staffing,” said Sleepy Eye MNA Chair Katie Grams. “It worked well by laying out base staffing standards of four patients to one nurse, detailing how those standards worked by shift, census, patient acuity and staff skill level.”

The arbitrator not only approved putting the staffing plan into the contract, he added language that specifies staffing for OB, ER and charge nurses.
… Read more about: Ruling supports safe patient standards  »

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In: Minnesota Nurses Association, Organizing

About one-tenth of the population of a northern Minnesota town now belongs to MNA.

Nearly 100 employees at LakeWood Health Center in Baudette  (population 1,080) voted last week in favor of contract representation by the MNA.

The successful vote was the result of a determined effort by workers who wanted to advocate more strongly for patients and employees. The new bargaining unit will represent most non-management employees.

“We kept having more duties and more work to do as they outsourced and cut,” said RN Bonnie Harness. “We were really upset. LakeWood needed to work with us but they didn’t want to.”

A group of LakeWood employees contacted MNA in January and the campaign to organize began.
… Read more about: MNA Welcomes New Members in Baudette  »

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In: Activism, Minnesota Nurses Association, North Memorial, Unsafe Staffing

The sidewalks around North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale on June 24 were filled with more than 500 nurses, nurse assistants, janitors, food service workers and supporters from as far away as Bemidji uniting in opposition to the hospital’s plan to cut nursing staff to dangerously low levels.

They spoke loudly and passionately about the hospital’s plan to increase the number of patients each nurse cares for and how it would endanger patient safety.

“They want to change the game and decrease staff to unsafe levels,” said North Memorial MNA Nurses Co-Chair Mary Turner. “North Memorial nurses want to provide the care patients need and deserve – and this plan will reduce our ability to provide safe care for every patient.”

“Patient safety has always been my number-one concern,” said North Memorial nurse Monifa Owens, who picketed with her baby son and teen-age daughter.
… Read more about: North Memorial Nurses Send a Clear Message: Protect Patient Safety  »

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In: Activism, Hospitals, Nursing, Politics, Standards of Care, Unsafe Staffing

 

 

Minnesota Nurses fighting for safe staffing levels for patients held an informational picket on Tuesday, June 24, 2014.  Legislative leaders from the area joined them to echo their concerns that patient safety is a concern.

DSC_4552
… Read more about: Video: Minnesota Nurses Hold Informational Picket at North Memorial Hospital  »

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In: Minnesota Nurses Association, North Memorial, Patient Safety, Unsafe Staffing

Sign up  for Picket Duty

HQ, Parking, Shuttle & Other Transportation Info

Nurses at North Memorial Hospital in Robbinsdale are on the front lines of a battle for safe staffing and safe care that could have a major impact on MNA members and patients throughout the state.

North Memorial management wants to cut nursing staff to dangerously low levels by increasing the number of patients each nurse cares for in the majority of units in the hospital. Nurses are fighting the plan at every step of the way.

“Our patients deserve the best possible care,” said North Memorial MNA Co-Chair Mary Turner.
… Read more about: North Memorial Medical Center nurses protest unsafe staffing plan  »