From the MNA Board of Directors
Nurses throughout Minnesota say the MNA contract that protects rights and gives members a voice in the workplace is a major benefit of membership.
Nurses recognize the value of holding management accountable when the contract is violated through grievances, arbitration, and Unfair Labor Practice charges.
Hospitals are increasingly pushing us to file grievances and ULPs to force us to spend more time and resources on these actions instead of mutually agreeing on solutions to our issues.
They know these legal actions are expensive and time-consuming, even though MNA has won some major decisions in the last few years.
The MNA Board of Directors is recommending that nurses vote in favor of a proposal to change our dues structure without increasing dues in order to provide more resources for these important contract enforcement initiatives.
You can expect hospitals to do whatever they can to force us to divert funds toward these legal expenses, hoping to drain our budget for critical functions like contract negotiations, safe staffing initiatives, organizing campaigns, and legislative activities.
MNA members can stand up to hospitals by supporting simplifying the dues structure without raising dues in the all-member ballot through October 8.
Please take a look at this video by RN Steve Strand from Essentia St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth on why he supports a yes vote.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot was September 15. For those with absentee ballots, you have until September 30 to submit them to the MNA Office in order to be considered valid for inclusion in the vote tabulation. As this date falls on a Sunday, absentee ballots received in the MNA office by Monday, October 1, at 4:30 p.m. will be accepted.
If you don’t vote by absentee ballot, you can vote in person during the MNA Convention and House of Delegates at the Radisson Blu in Minneapolis, 35 S 7th St. October 6-8:
- Saturday, October 6: 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Sunday, October 7: 7 a.m.- 5 p.m.
- Monday, October 8: 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
MNA will reimburse for parking fees up to $10 if you vote in person.
A YES vote means that MNA could invest more locally while keeping dues the same. A NO vote means maintaining the same dues structure.
Visit MNA’s website for more information and voting times during Convention; or contact the MNA office for more information.
Results will be announced to members on October 10.
The deadline to sign up to be a delegate and attend MNA’s annual convention to help make organizational decisions is September 28 – today.
Fill out the Consent to Serve as delegate form and register for MNA Convention October 5-8!
Contact Jodi Lietzau at Jodi.Lietzau@mnnurses.org to register.