Union brothers and sisters, please get ready to strike.
For two long days we, your elected bargaining teams, showed up to bargain a fair and just contract, and we are sorry to report that the employer has refused to bargain in good faith. They said that not one word, comma, letter, or sentence was acceptable in our proposals. They said unless you agree to their concessions there will be no bargaining.
These are employers who collectively made over $750 million in profits last year, where the CEOs pay increases were over 20%, and where new costly construction is prevalent everywhere. Their message to us is clear; if we are not willing to take concessions then they are not going to bargain. Well, we said to them; if you are not willing to agree to safe staffing, and agree to improve safe patient outcomes, then we are willing to fight.
Their proposals are all about money and profits. There is no connection between quality care and what the hospitals want. Not a single one of their proposals is about improving patient care or advancing our profession forward. One thing was definitely clear; by refusing to talk about patient care they have shown that patient safety and safe staffing are not their priorities – but, making money and control are.
For the second bargaining session in a row, the employers have engaged the media before they engaged us. They were talking to the press while we were sitting and patiently waiting to bargain. We say shame on the hospitals! They took the human aspect out of the picture and used lawyers and spokespersons to carry their message of greed. They have intentionally continued to misrepresent to the pubic they purport to serve our position surrounding patient care.
Our priorities remain: Safe staffing, patient protection, improved education, safety regulations surrounding infectious disease, recruitment and retention so there are enough nurses to care for our communities, and emergency preparedness. We desire to move our profession forward.
The hospitals priorities continue to be: Slash our pension, freeze our wages, more flexibility to send RNs when and where they want to, eliminate benefit eligibility, and to take away our MNA health plans.
We continue to stand united and we stand up and fight.
The next steps are as follows: We will be making picket signs at the MNA office all weekend long. There will be a candle light vigil on Wednesday June 9th at 5:45 P.M. at St. Matthew’s Luthern Church in St. Paul at 701 N. Lexington Pkwy, 55104.
If we don’t advocate for our profession and our patients, then who will?
CLICK HERE to watch a Webcast of the press conference from MNA RNs talking about bargaining and next steps.
Below is a roundup of TV News Coverage related to today’s update:
Minnesota Nurses 
Bring it on!! Don’t give up the fight. This is DEFINATELY worth fighting for….
Oh, one more thing…. Someone please tell Maureen to stop talking, she is an idiot! Unless she truly knows what she is talking about, best not to say anything. She looks like a fool!
Are you kidding, keep her talking so the public can see how she skirts the issues and really says nothing. Just saw the wcco feed with her, hmmm did she ever answer the question about their claim that MNA’s staffing proposal would cost the hospitals >250? And really, California’s law about safe patient ratios is not working? She’s entertaining.
I am following this all as closely as I can. I am “retired” on permanent disability and on inactive status with the union, so I cannot vote. I am about to develop an ulcer over the TCH idiocy in this and am behind you ALL THE WAY!!!!!!!
Very disappointing! What was the point in getting together? I am guessing it was just for more media drama. I was really hoping for a resolution by next Thursday, I don’t want to have to do this. I feel totally disrespected as a nurse. We pour out our hearts to these patients each and every day. What did we do to deserve this lack of respect?
Will our employers negotiate/ discuss pt staffing if we accept some their concessions? I would like to have some way to survey how nurses feel about accepting some of the concessions if it meant better staffing. Personally, I’d give up the MNA health plan (that is too expensive for those of us with families), the pension (which I and other nurses who won’t retire for 25+ years will probably never get), and increasing benefit eligibility to .5 providing there is language allowing nurses to increase their FTE to .5 . I just hope we’re bargaining for the wishes of the majority of nurses.
Amen!
Wow! The comment by Novice RN saddens me to the core. You have no idea the struggle that the RNs that came before you fought to get you the wage and benefits you enjoy right now. Obviously the things that you are willing to cave on are things that dont affect you personally. Well guess what, a lot of them dont affect me either but I’ll stand with my sisters and brothers that they do affect because if one falls we all fall! I am hoping that “Novice ” is just young and ignorant and this is not a true reflection of her character. Stay strong everyone. In my 13 years here this is the loudest and most united we have been. And to Novice, it only takes looking at the vote results to show you that they are bargaining for the wishes of the majority!
ME TOO!!
To Kris:
YEAH!!!!!!
I agree 100%
Thank You!
Very good response!
I am very concerned about the outcome of the supposed negotiations, since it doesn’t sound like the management of our hospitals are even willing to sit down with us. I can’t afford a strike, but the idea of crossing the picket line is repulsive to to me. I have always believed that if I belong to the union, I have an obligation to support my union by going with the majority. In this case it’s very clear what the majority of nurses want is to fight for the ability to do what we all joined the profession of nursing to do: give our patients the very best care we can. If we are responsible for more patients than we can safely care for, @ the end of the day it’s impossible to feel good about our jobs. That leads to job stress, increased ill calls and low morale. THAT IS WRONG! THAT IS NOT WHY WE BECAME NURSES!
Novice RN , it is obvious you have a young healthy family,otherwise the MNA health plan wouldn’t seem so expensive. Under the new plan with all the increased co-pays (which does not go toward the max. out of pocket) it ends up being much more expensive unless you rarely access the health care system. As for the pension , I had no choice of investment with the hospital other than the pension. They would not allow us to take part in any other offerings because we had our pension. This is huge for many nurses. These two things are also issues that were hard fought for over the last years. Of course in negotiating you may have to give up things, but the hospital started out striping out a good share of our contract, then pulled back some looking like they conceded a lot when in reality they were insisting on us conceding before even looking at our proposals.
As for the wishes of the majority of nurses, I think a vote of 90% speaks for itself.
My friends – Stand together. you are doing what is hard and what is right. The employer is more afraid of a strike then you know.
Unity and Peace
I’ve worked both sides of this over the years, management and union alike. I am mortified at how the twin cities hospitals are acting!! I understand budgets, profits, and the bottom line with benifits, wages and alike from the hospital end. I also understand safe patient staffing and how that effects the hospital picker scores. I understand having a good insurance plan so if or when a nurse gets injured in the line of duty they are taken care of. I understand how we’ve worked hard to earn the pensions we have. What I don’t get? When a nurse has dedicated the majority of their life to a hospital and helped them become a great hospital, that they want to leave her/him out to dry. Why not go to the tables and try to bargin?? Don’t they realize or care what this will do to them (hospitals) in the end?? What about patient care quality?? What about their safety?? I’ve been hearing from the patient’s over the last few weeks, thank good wisconsin isn’t far to drive. Patient’s don’t want to give up the care they are receiving with the MNA nurses. They don’t want nurses they don’t trust. One patient told me “At least over the border the nurses know what they are doing and are able to care for me if I need it, in a safe setting.” What is my response to this?? Get ready Hudson, River Falls, New Richmond, and Baldwin your about to get busy!!! As for the hospitals?? You think your losing money now?? Wait until you see how bad your census drops over this and your profits drop. Oh and by the way when you have low census days I am a RN that will volunteer to take off with out pay. I work a FTE of .8 my income last year was only $34000.00, and I’ve been a nurse for years!!!! Who makes $79000.00?? I want that job, the average RN at a .8 FTE makes approximately $53,000.00. What happened to the day of employers respecting their dedicated staff!
Novice RN, I have been in your shoes. I didnt think the pension was important nor did I care about the health insurance because as a caregiver I was invincible. I have been a nurse for 21 yrs now and I DO care about the pension. I have worked for every penny afforded me in that pension. I DO care what kind of insurance we have. I am a breast cancer survivor and without the health insurance that MNA has fought for us to have I had minimal out of pocket expenses. This is not the time to be thinking of yourself. You DO need to look ahead at the big picture,not just the here and now. You WILL get older and need the good insurance and I dont know about you but I DONT want to be forced to work until mandatory retirement age. You are DEFINETLY the minority thank goodness!
Bonnie! No ulcer PLEASE! We are going to be striking 😉
Jennifer – I hear you. I am both angry and disappointed. It is obvious that we as nurses mean nothing to theses people. Any illusion that we meant anything has been shattered by these negotiations. What these hospitals don’t realize is that our view of our workplace has drastically changed with all of this. They can take their magnet, chest pain center, stroke center and they know where they can put it. I feel absolutely no loyalty to my employer anymore.
I am being interview by Nurse Talk Radio on Saturday and it will be broadcast on Sunday. It will also be in their archives. While they are out of San Francisco and very small, I have asked to speak about MNA and the strike issues. The interview is mainly about my book, Hotel Hennepin which relates my experiences working at HCMC as a staff and charge nurse in OB. I am more than happy to educate as many people as I can about our fight here in Mpls. Knowledge is power!!! Go MNA!!!
To Novice RN:
Please actually do the cost comparison on the health plans. I too have a family (4 kids in fact) and there is no way I can afford the Allina insurance. It looks cheaper up front, but it is definitely not. I did some cost comparison looking at the past few years and their proposed plan would cost me THOUSANDS more!!!!
As far as the pension, PLEASE talk to some of the more seasoned RN’s at your facility, I am sure they would be glad to share with you.
I have at least 20 more years to work, and I can say without a doubt, WE ABSOLUTELY CANNOT ACCEPT THE HOSPITALS OFFER!!! If you think it’s bad now, it will be much much worse if we accept what they are offering.
I know people are scared, but please don’t waver now! We need everybody to stand united!!
As a nurse with 25 years experience that is currently laid off because I followed my dream of becoming a NICU RN late in my career. I see both sides and am ashamed of both sides, I do not think anyone went to negotiations with the intent of negotiating. Both sides think they have the upper hand. I will proudly stand with my coworkers to bring the profession forward even though Iam jobless to no fault of my own but seniority
I am disappointed that both sides are so far apart, because this tells me someone is not being realistic. I have heard so many wild demands-not sure what to believe–but here are some: MNA wants no more than 90% census on any unit; MNA wants 115% staffing on all units; MNA wants to staff all units as if there is a full census, regardless of the actual census. Which, if any, is true?
As for losing some of the pension–to go from 1.7% down to 1.2% is not that much. In fact, we will still be far ahead of ten years ago, because then, you made 41% less than now. In 2001, we got an 8/5/5 contract. In 2004, 5/5/5, and in 2007, a 4/3/3. That is 41%, folks–not bad. Actually, fantastic compared to everything around you. Sure, the union won those for us, but times are a lot different now, if you haven’t noticed.
thank you. we have to give a little to take a little, or you cant expect the hospitals to do the same.
A “proverb” my father used to tell my sister and I really applies to TCH mouthpiece Maureen…
“Alligator: Mouth opens up, brain shuts off.”
I think Dad is on to something!
Dave, I agree… I think your Dad really is right on the mark. I think the alligators include the hospitals, their CEOs, their PR people, their nightmarish M.S., their scabs, the people that get paid to run off at the mouth and say nothing…
Correction, in 2004, it was 5/4/4. All told, 41% over ten years. So, suppose you now make 80,000/year. 1.2% of that = $960. Ten years ago, you made 47,200. 1.7% of that = $802. So, you will still be accrueing a higher annual pension rate now than you were then, even moving down to 1.2% of your annual income.
Veritas, who do you know that is making 80,000/yr,? Do a little more research please, as a 30 yr bedside RN I know this figure is fictitious! I am very concerned about protecting our ability to retire with dignity and keeping the profession attractive to bright young people searching for career options
JC have to correct you on that response. I have been a nurse for over 11 years at one of the hospitals involved and I work 1.0 and do make over 80,000 a year not including shift bonus and overtime. So it does occur.
for a little inspiration go to the jaco website and read
Strategies for Addressing the Evolving Nursing Crisis
It supports EVERYTHING we are standing up for. In solidarity. Go Nurses for the right thing ! Can we give this to Maureen?
As far as you comments on the pension. I believe 1.7 to 1.2 concession represents a 30% decrease in payment to the pension plan . That, to a lot of us, is a signifcant reduction in benefits As you now 403b and 401ks are not forever and are extremely vunerable to market. A lot of people had to put off retirement because their 401/403 took a huge hit related to the greedy banker on Wall Street. The pension is defined benefit that will not be taken away by greedy corporations and will help nurses in their retirement. This pension could potentially make their 403/401s last longer, also.
The Hospitals underpaid the pension for years and when the banks went funky the got burned. They wanted us to act be there bail out plan for their cheap ways. Also the employers set up the last year’s payment so it would be a large balloon payment. They used this ballon payment figure as the example as how much the nurse pension was costing them. They are manipulating the figures again to claim poverty. The pension would be in better shape if they spent less time playing with numbers just to screw us over and actually follow the pension language and pay what they need to.
Thank you for adding detail the picture on this. My example is based only my historical knowledge as a wage earner.
Dear Novice RN, and anyone considering crossing the picket line!
Don’t put your self down, it’s not becoming of a professional nurse! My dear, this spring I had my 60th Birthday. It’s hard to believe that I have a 25, 31, and 33rd year old children! Weren’t they just baby’s! Were did the years go?
I went back to nursing school when my children were in middle school. So I’ve only been working as a nurse for 13 years, so my pension isn’t a golden parachute, but neither is the pension that nurses who have worked for a life time. All our pensions will do is to help to pay the bills, I couldn’t live on the $1000 social security that I’ve also earned.
Our CEO’s and staff now they have good pension, but then if my paycheck was as big as his, I could do lots of traveling, give my kids money to buy their own home, but that would be dreaming!
When I went into nursing I knew that my income would be more then a housekeeper and other staff at work. But my salary never would be as high as those staff that are trying to throw us under the bus!
You have to realize that the other employee’s of hospital such as the housekeepers, HUC’s, NA’s, and many other persons are also being treated as if they don’t count. We are all disposable!
Are you aware that the TCH would like to have nurses only work for 7 years, yes 7 years! Now this my just be a rumor, but I believe that it could be the truth after the way the TCH has presented them selves. That would keep payroll down! So again it’s all about the money, which they have refused to share with those that make that income. They want money for there golf memberships (it’s said to be $36,000 for our Children’s CEO) and bonus money to add to their already high incomes.
Today I got my Dear MNA Registered Nurse letter! I’m beginnging to think that the TCH is getting desperate. It all comes down to the fact that TCH want to Crush our MNA union. Anyone, who crosses the picket line will only be helping the TCH. Anything that a scab would earn will be blood money!
All of the comments to Novice RN are relating back to the money! I thought we were in this for safe staffing, and her/his suggestion was to concede on the money issues and hope the hospitals would look further at our staffing proposals. If this is truly about staffing and caring for our patients, then the health insurance, pension, and raise shouldn’t matter, right?…
that’s what I thought…
I’m with you. Why don’t our “negotiators” try this… they keep saying it’s “about patient safety and patient care” but nobody has even mentioned conceding on the money issues to see if maybe the hospitals will look at their staffing proposals more closely.
I take that back, I have heard them say we would accept the 0/1/2 offer, which is fine. But nobody seems to want to budge on the pension issue…
Guess it’s not really “all about the patients” then is it?
BECAUSE! The pension was already bought and paid for from previous negotiations… Nurses already paid for their pensions with their blood, sweat and tears. I will not discredit the RNs that fought so hard for these things. NO Takebacks. I will not pay for something that was already paid for in full.
nope, its of course not all about the patients, i hear much more about save our pensions than safe staffing. which is sick.
if i chose a career for the money i would have chosen something much easier and better paid.
This is also about our lives and our profession!!! Do you want have tto work as a floor nurse until you are 80 years old because they have taken your pension away from you!! The pension should be important to all of us as this is our future. Why should we give this up. This is also about patients and keeping them safe. We work very hard and ratios need to be safe for us and them. I truly don’t believe your comment about choosing your career because in every job a retirement is important. We don’t get a 401k or a 403b with payment from our employer so this is what we have.
MNA RN=unprofessional name caller. Get a life, stop embarrassing the nursing profession. It’s people like you that make nurses look like greedy, money hungry idiots. Fight for the patients, or don’t fight at all.
Why is the hospital association so willing to let us strike ? Their total unwillingness to deal with us must have some benefit to them. What is their motive ? I wonder if we are somehow playing right into their hands- or maybe this is just crazy talk How about it ?
Just recently in the new I heard that healthcare is “big business” this was from our president. A mis-informed president, when it was presented to him as a good thing. Since when is humanity big business??
Over the years healthcare has become less about health or caring and more about business. When business took over from the physicians and churches/sisters they developed a way to gain profit from non-profit organizations. Look at the history of most hospitals and the churches/ charitable organizations that founded them, ran them and developed education programs (colleges) to staff them. They KNEW how to “care for the people” with people and health at the center of the equation. To this day these hospitals and colleges are standing. They were headed up until the late 70’s and 80s by sisters as CEOs. The most cost effective and efficient hospital in the country is headed by a CEO who is a sister. The hospitals were clean, personable and caring. Much different than the “mecas of illusions” we’ve created. The name of the game seems to be how to distract the patients with a show and dance of expensive fountains, pictures interior design so they don’t know they are getting less quality and focus on health or care. Many of it is bells and whistles. We’ve lost our way as a system. There needs to be a balance. “Business” we see now is not about caring about the patient or you as a human being. They care about legalities about public opinion. It’s “business” nothing personal. Many times nurses who come from a caring perspective don’t see that appealing to a business’s heart will never work. It’s not about that. Again, it’s business “nothing personal”.
We have to think a little like a business to realize what motivates them to change.
In answer to your question. Hospitals have coverage in their insurance policies to stay a strike. They also are assisted by the government for strikes relief. But that has limits. This is why the more that strike and the more nurse they have to hire at an agency rate (more going to the companies than the nurses, guys) to keep the doors open hurts them monetarily. Also how long a strike last can use up the assistance. Now most strike organizations nor the public realize that the hospitals try to save money even in holding open the doors by only hiring 1/3 of the nurses that are on strike. In West Virginia in 2007 the hospital hired 50 relief nurses for 150 nurses that strike. The West Virginia nurse and Kentucky nurses, as small of a fleet they were, were able to motivate the hospitals due to lasting approx. 10wks on strike. In this period, do you know what the hospital did with the 50 strike relief nurses? They dropped it down to 35!!! We knew that this meant the nurses were getting to the hospital from a monetary stand point. So instead of the hospital achieving their goal of overturning the union the nurses out lasted and out manuevered the “big business” and got a new contract not only without dissolving the union but with a few improvements….”few is the operative word”. This strike was less about work conditions because the nurses were distracted into fighting for their voice.
Believe me those relief nurses don’t want to replace you, they are many times on the inside telling the patients you will be back and supporting you all from the inside out. Many a time the patients are swayed by the media the hospital puts out and make angry statements on the “selfish nurses on strike”. These few relief nurses that hold down the fort are mothers, grandmothers with many years experience. They are the ones that actually make more in their regular jobs. I know because I was one of them. I made less at the strike and the money I did make was because I worked 7 days a week 12 hour shifts for 2 months. It was hard earned in OT. While I was there, every time I heard a bad word about the nurses who were striking, I educated patients and other staff on the strike and the true story. Many say….we’ll if the nurses don’t come in during a strike than it will last shorter, we’ll get our demands faster and better. If the hospital closes there will not be anywhere for you or the patients to go. That’s not anyone’s objective. Please understand. There is a big role each side (nurse) plays in a positive outcome for nursing. Someone has to hold down the fort while you all go to war. I respect that and honor you all for doing what you are to advance nursing. I also believe you want someone to take care of the kids, family etc (sort of speak) while you are away fighting. It’s not an all or none. Bad relief nurse, good strike nurse. Bad strike nurse, good relief nurse.
We’re both working each side of the coin. Believe me.
AGAIN…
The hospitals recieve monetary assistance when there is a strike. Unless it is massive or long they can “afford” not to negotiate.
The second reason hospitals incourage a strike is it is the only way they can break the union by trying to negotiate a contract without a succession clause.
I have been a nurse for 26 years. I am proud to be a nurse. I am NOT proud of the environment I nor any one of us is force to endure in order to take care of patients. It’s not healthy or productive for anyone. You all are right, it’s too much to be safe, healthy or care. But what is a nurse as a sacrificial lamb when a patient complains rather than spending the time and the money on a cost effective, time effective solution that would fix the problem? I’m being sarcastic here. The reason is…it’s too hard, too much effort and much easier to toss a nurse out there to distract the public from the real problems.
We can do it better, safer, more cost effective and still be about health and care. There is a win win. First we have to get their attention.
I best stop now. I’m getting too riled up. I could tell you so much more that would have your toes curled.
Please remember…… nurses on either side of the line is not the problem unless we start fighting each other.
Lets stay focus on getting back patient care to the front line rather than letting them tear us apart. Just as the military spouse keeps the home fires burning while spouse goes off to fight the war. Be reassured it’s not easy on the home front but they serve a purpose just as much as the soldier fighting the war in getting a resolution.
I think it is time nurses and healthcare workers unite. God bless us in making it better for all.
A quote I was told by my father~
“Numbers don’t lie, but liars figure”
Why can’t we strike for more than ONE day? Let the hospitals have it, they don’t care about us! They don’t care about the patients! They just care about their big salaries, their fancy cars and homes and kissing the doctors asses! I am so disgusted with the nursing profession and the lack of respect from the hospitals, doctors, and some ancillary staff who think “nurse make too much money”. Walk a day in the shoes of a RN who is overworked with too many ill patients. I bet you’d change your mind. Everyone will be ill enough some day to need a nurse, yes even Maureen…. and it will be the nurse who saves your life!
Downhearted and demoralizing is how TCH is making me feel. Was really hoping there would be some honest hard work on getting this solved before next Thurs. Really no one esp. the patients wins in the scenario that is playing out here.
Just finished watching the 10 pm news cast! I am so furious… The only one who is out in left field is you Maureen! You just don’t get it!
Maureen is just a puppet saying what she is told to say…I expect it to get worse. I do wonder how she sleeps at night…In the last 2 weeks my patients have been verbalizing their support of MNA, asking where the can get a button to show support, etc. I think the public is catching on to the low life tactics being used by TCH. Let’s try to take this one day at a time and remain in solidarity!!!
I don’t know wheather to scream, swear or cry. Can all these things be done at the same time? I am so disturbed and upset that my husband is looking at me concerned! He knows that I put my heart and soul into being a nurse… I feel like someone just ripped it out of me. I feel betrayed in the worst way! TCH… you are not going to defeat MNA RNs purpose! You are not going to hinder us from protecting our patients and you will not silence us because we will continue to advocate for our patients and our professsion! You say”How dare those nurses!” Well, TCH just watch us! They tried to silence Florence too! And she fought and fought and fought. We are MNA RNs and we will do the same! You just kicked the hornet nest! Twin Cities Hospitals, CEOs, M.S. (you are a piece of work, I have never heard so many lies come out of one persons mouth), Big Business and your PR companies that you hired, managers turned bullies, and SCABS (you are beyond description-you sell your souls for money)… Some things are worth fighting for and MNA RNs will fight! We stand strong because we believe in what we are fighting for!
12,000 + 13,000 = 25,000 UNION RNs! June 10th… see ya there!
I really did not want to be in the Biggest Nurses Strike in the history of the United States… but now it looks like I have to be! At least I know what I am fighting for and how important it is! It’s about something much bigger than me or you… It’s about our patients… and the way I see it… that is why I’m a nurse to begin with. I will not back down either! Neither will by brother and sister RNs. If the hospitals win this… nursing will no longer be nursing. It will become what the hospitals tell us it should be. They will have destroyed nursings very concept. How dare them!
You can kick me, you can hurt me, you can try to demoralize me, you can insult me… You can punch me in the face and make my nose bleed… You can knock me to the ground… But, as long as I can… I will stand up against you and what you are trying to do… I will stand in front of you with blood dripping from my face and I still will not back down. I will continue to stand up to you!
CHILL OUT MNA RN. HOLY SMOKES – I wouldn’t want you for my nurse. What anger, YUCK
To those considering the TCH offer to resign from the MNA RN union… (for some RNs… the decision may be very difficult, for whatever reason…) What a generous offer… How very considerate of them… That they would even propose that an RNs integrity is that easily bought? Just a thought…
And just one more thought!
TCH… How do you think you achieved your highly coveted Magnet status? You got Magnet status by standing on the backs of the RNs that worked so hard to achieve it! It’s spelled out in the wording of what Magnet status really means… You probably didn’t even read it because you were too busy admiring your trophy. You didn’t care what Magnet status was just as long as you were able to profit from it and to have something shiny that would improve your status! Do you really think that the scabs would have helped you to achieve that status? Not unless you paid them the $2,000.00 – $5,000.00 per day that you are paying them to replace the RNs that even made it possible for you to have that trophy in the first place! Just because you sold YOUR integrity for the almighty dollar doesn’t mean that the MNA RNs will… Shame on you! There is a power greater than yours that is working here…
Google: Minnesota Magnet Status for Hospitals
I have my pension AND contribute to my 403B for retirement. Do all the hospitals not offer this an option instead of the 401K? The hospital doesnt match on the 403B because of our pension but at least it’s a pretax option for retirement.
They have no respect for our profession, that is VERY clear. They are willing to spend millions of dollars to SCREW US! It is totally not about the money!
I want those of you who think that we should give in to any concession and not go for better staffing to thinking about the last time you went home completely exhausted. Think about the time that you felt overwhelmed by the responsibility you have. Think about the complexity of knowledge you have. We are unique in that not many people coukl do, or are willing to do, the job we have. You have earned every PENNY and more that you get. Patients deserve the staffing we are asking for. Without you the hospital collapses. Stop selling yourself short.
I just got my letter too about how to resign from the union. Are those letters legal? I felt bullied and harassed reading it.
Everyone (friends and neighbors) are commenting on the hospital’s media coverage and now radio ads and wondering why we aren’t using more media.
Do not be discouraged, do what is right, and hold your head up! Nursing the sick is a profession to be held in high regard by a society that considers itself to be civilized, lest we ever forget!!
Thanks for the honest responses to my earlier post. Just to clarify, I never said nor do I plan to cross a picket line because I do believe the current contract offer is unacceptable. Thank you Shelly for getting what I was actually trying to say I want better staffing, I want to have time to care for my patients in the way they deserve. This does matter more to me than salary, pension and benefits. I do appreciate what previous nurses have done to negotiate the benefits I have now and I care that losing some of these things would cause hardship to some (myself included) BUT if I and other nurses get so burnt out or make a mistake and lose our license because of poor staffing ratios and leave the profession then keeping, earning all those financial benefits won’t matter because we won’t be working as nurses anyway . So again, for me and I know there are others who share my opinion I am willing to give up a little in the way of compensation and benefits if it will get my employer negotiating about staffing. And, please could we do away with the berating of nurses who for whatever reason will not or cannot support the “majority opinion” What does this accomplish?
Once you get into concessionary bargaining it is very difficult or impossible to get out of it. Over time the employer will bleed our profession white. Remember we rejected their proposals! It is up to them to make the next move.
thank you, i totally agree. youve got to give a little if you expect them to give a little. or else your no better than them, rejecting everything that comes their way.
Jessica, you are the voice of reason during a time of siege warfare. Eric said the MNA has rejected the hospitals’ proposals, and will not budge–next move is up to TCH. At the same time, the MNA says we are open for business, ready and willing to talk, offering to meet on any day. Take you pick.
As I have stated before we told them that we are willing to talk. We prioritized our proposals, per the employers request, as to what it would take to settle this contract. After waiting many hours for a responce they told us in no uncertain terms that their is not on comma, word, or sentence thay could talk to us about. They then stated that they were not removing any of their proposals and left. Of course we did not find out they have concluded negotioations until someone read it on a media page. We have made changes to our proposals. We changed language in staffing proposal and remove the 115% figure from that proposal. We dropped our now layoff language. We made adjustments in health insurance proposals. We have made efforts to get them to communicate with us. But it has fallen on deaf ears
I think you all need to realize that the contract we currently have is the baseline to conduct these negotiations. If language created in the past has put undo burden put any party, ie the employer, then they need to bring in evidence, data, stories, facts or figures to prove their case. If it appears there is some validity to their case then yes their should discussion to change language to remove this undo burden. Their proposals were created to gut our contract. They have essentially stated that contract inits entirety is an undo burden. It is ridiculious to believe and you cannot tell me that are whole contract is undo burden! They just want to hurt nurses, hurt nursing, bust the union, and forget about patient safety for profits.
And it’s interesting that TCH says the current contract is a financial burdon, yet they made $753 million profit UNDER that same contract.
The unit I work in has 1 RN that has openly stated she is going to cross the line. She plans on retiring in 3 years and doesn’t want to jeopardize what she has earned! This really is creating alot of hard feeling in our unit towards her. Is there someone from MNA that can/would talk to her. 1 very mad nurse.
Did everyone out there get their e mails about the Convicted Felon who owns the Scab Company! Great Job TCH! Ya did it again!
JC, if you are a 30-year RN, you are making at least $42/hr here in the TC area, even if you are an AD RN, or a diploma RN. At FTE 0.8, you are making $69,888/yr before overtime, shift differentials, weekend bonus, education hours, holiday pay, etc. So, yes, I know plenty of RNs who make 80K, myself included. YOU should do some research–such as, some arithmetic!
To MNA RN
Please make sure the press knows and publishes the info about the convicted felon again!
In my previous posts, I listed the wage gains we have made since 2001 at our business unit here, in the Twin Cities. That is, over the past three contracts, we have gained 8%/5%/5%, 5%/4%/4%, and 4%/3%/3% to equal a 41% wage increase in just 9 years, folks, and that is incredible during a time of no inflation. We are all making a very healthy wage, to say the least, and for you new RNs, your starting wage reflects these same gains. So, if a 5-year AD RN now makes $34.71/hr, this would have been $2o.49/hr in 2001. Sure, there would have been some COLA raises, even without a contract, but not anything close to 41%. Our MNA union won those gains for us, but the times were also much better. The hospitals were flush with assets, and, in 2001, RNs stood up en masse to finally bring wages up to modern standards in order to attract people to the profession. In 2004 and in 2007, we signed contracts without even a wimper–non-new events. The hospitals and the union were both satisfied to continue our good benefits and pay raises–again, economic times were good for the health systems. But now, not so. The entire economic infrastructure of health care is crumbling–15 million out of work in the past 2 years, now 50 million uninsured, many millions more underinsured, unable to pay premiums and deductibles. Lots of outstanding hospital bills going unpaid, more charity care–many people flat out deferring needed surgeries and care. So, could it be we need to face reality? After a decade of winning and winning, perhaps we should concede some losses this time, and live on to fight again. The main thing is to not bring down the TCH system with unreasonable demands–this hurts all the patient members of HMOs, the employee members and the hospital and clinic network that comprises the whole thing. Does the MNA really want only 90% census in all units? Why would you want this in hard times? What you SHOULD want is every bed filled with paying patients. This is good for you, OK? And be ready to work hard–as hard or harder than you ever have, being glad you have this job you say you love.
Veritas, Are you really an RN? Do you work in management?
MNA RN- you speak of Magnet Status. When I was working at North, we had quite a push on for Magnet. We had committees, we even had an RN whose job it was to get us to Magnet status. The CEO of North, David Cress, began holding “Town Hall Meetings” to keep employees in the loop and up on all the issues at the Hospital. I asked at one of these meetings how we stood on Magnet. His response was “What’s Magnet?” The VP of Pt. Care Services jumped in to cover but too late. That’s the leadership at North, and you wonder why they can’t negotiate with us. I’ll bet Cress doesn’t even know the contract is up for renewal!!
The one area where MNA really has to step up to the plate is in combatting false or erroneous reporting by local media concerning the MNA’s postition on the issues. A recent article in the Star & Tribune indicated a nurse to pt ratio of 1:1 in critical care. This is not true but MNA fails to at least write a letter or place any sort of clarfication on there website. I think the leadership needs to start countering some of these falsehoods becasue to some degree what the public thinks will influence the bargaining. Do we even hire counsel for these negiotions? I thought we did but we need a blue chip firm and some PR people. I know that some of the nurses have their JD but if they never practiced labor law they are at a disadvantage, it would seem for what we pay in dues MNA can afford some competent counsel and PR people”We care for you” is hardly an effective rebuttal.
The letter I received today from the hospital states that the MNA proposal will cost $100 million dollars of additonal cost. Why doesn’t the hospitals look at alternative ways to save cost rather than demoralized the nurses who are the faces of the health care service they promote.
What about taking the money that will be spent on this strike for health care promotion and prevention?
Stay strong my fellow nurses, stay strong!
As a new grad RN I just wanted to express my support to the MNA and thank you for taking a stand for my future! I received an email yesterday from Healthsource offering to pay travel, luxury hotel, transportation to and from the hospitals, professional/ safe/ exciting experience, orientation, and $1,600 for a 12 hour shift. I believe this incredible sum of money should be going to nobody else but you nurses, your pensions, and funding for safe staffing ratios. This money should go to those of you who work so hard at such a challenging job. Nurses of Minnesota, you make me proud to be joining this profession. Please know there are new grads who would never scab and will happily join you on the picket line!
I am a nurse, appalled at the language, the sentiments, the acrimony, lack of professionalism, disrespect, and demeanor of so much that I am reading from other nurses. Of each of you I ask; where is the compassion you speak of? When and how do you ‘turn this attitude off’ in the presence of the very people you claim to care about – our patients? I absolutely do not want any of you taking care of my loved ones, or me. I believe it impossible to ‘switch on and off’ the anger so many of you are compelled to share publicly. Each of us at some time made a CHOICE to become a nurse. And each of us choose again each time we renew our licenses. Each of us makes a CHOICE about which employer to work for and each time we cash a check we continue our commitment to support the goals and direction of the organizations where we choose to practice our profession. So many of you are so disgusted with your choice – CHANGE IT – find a place where you can work the way you want to work. Maybe that is California for many of you!?!?
Listen and learn all sides of any debate – the truth is in the listening. In this situation, my colleagues, there is truth on both sides of the table. I will continue to use my passion for nursing, my knowledge of the issues (which I will continue to work hard to see from all angles) and my own voice – not the voice of a National Nursing Union – to speak up for what I hold as sacred in my profession. Through my caring, I will provide an environment that maximizes the ability for patients to heal. And I will remain proud to say I am a Nurse!
Better to fight for something than live for nothing.
George S. Patton
And yes, I want a nurse who will get a little angry and advocate for something like their patients or their profession. To fight for something is to care. So. . . after all your studing what side are you on?
“Those who stand for nothing fall for anything.”
-Alexander Hamilton
ARE YOU A SCAB? You sound like one…
To: ” I am a nurse…
How about a SCAB nurse!
To I am a Nurse, I have to reply to your post. I am an older, seasoned nurse. Iworked for many years in a hospital where on arrival for each shift I prayed that my patients would be safe, that I could give the best care possible. And when I finally left for home after my shift, there would be tears runnning down my face because I could not give my patients the kind of care I wanted and they needed me to give. It wasn’t about money, it was about being physically unable to give more than the bare minimum of care, pass my meds, get the pt up and off to wherever/whatever procedure. On a given dayshift I was responsible for the care of 8-9 patients, if I talked with the nurse manager about feeling like I was only “herding cattle” for the kind of care I was giving my patients, I was told if I didn’t like being busy “go work somewhere else”. After 22 years of working fulltime at this facility, I did go somewhere else. I found my joy and passion in nursing again. And now, I see that being stripped away with again caring for more patients than is safe or humane, floating to units where I have no expertise and there is no other staff on that unit that are any more familiar with that unit than I. I do not want to have to leave yet again. So this time I choose to support MNA nurses actions for safe patient care, knowing the actions you all take in the Twin Cities will affect what happens here in Northern Minnesota.
Either you are management or scab hired by management and sent here to harass us. Because you sound just like the Allina lawyer mouthpiece that has sat across the MNA negotiation team for the last 2 months. You are giving me flashbacks. So unwilling to understand and to seduced by numbers and money.
Veritas you should change your name to Falsus RN-Falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus
My reply is directed to Veritas RN but was moved for some reason. But after reading I am Nurse it could be directed towards him/her.
How is name calling professional or beneficial? Just because an RN doesn’t agree with or support a union’s perspective or approach does not diminish the quality of a nurse he or she is. MNA is supposed to be the voice of the nurses it represents. That means listening to and respecting ALL perspectives and trying to act in the interests of all the nurses it represents. Again I support our current decision to reject the current offer, but please don’t disrespect nurses who don’t.
Not disrespecting the real RNs… just the pretend ones…
Alright Eric, if I am false in one thing, then I am false in all things. What have I said that is untrue? Or, are you saying I am false hearted? Blogs are of a slanderous nature, so no offence taken. Peace.
I am a nurse (??) says “and each time we cash a check we continue our commitment to support the goals and direction of the organizations where we choose to practice our profession.”
THIS is exactly the problem. What are their goals? What is the direction? To see helpless human beings on a heartless cold assembly line and being treated as plastic widgets, is a goal I cannot support. When people like you endorse and glorify this, it does make us angry, and I hope it always does. My patients are not widgets, they are not rotating “beds”, and the organization IS corrupt. I may collect my paycheck from TCH, but my loyalty will always be to my patient, not the corporation.
To “I am a nurse”. Way to blame the victims! If many people who have made awesome, monumental changes to the society & culture in which they lived decided to “change it” by moving away, we would not admire the heroic bravery & courage of some like Ghandi, M.L. King Jr., the uprising against discrimination by gays at Stonewall, our country itself whose original colonists chose to stay and fight for what they believed in in the face of adversity. You’re a quitter. If you don’t like what people have to say on this blog/site, take your own advice and “change it” youself by not visiting it!!
ditto Jeff!!
Please read my above post Jeff. On the issue of better staffing, yes I can see the comparison to Ghandi, MLK etc. maybe. On the issues of pensions, wages, benefits…..Does not being able to go into a restaurant or bathroom because you’re black really on the same level?
To Novice RN:
Depends on your perspective… If something is wrong, well then it’s just plain wrong. It really doesn’t matter what kind of paper you try to wrap it in and try to slap a bow on it. If it’s wrong, it still remains wrong. And MNA RNs will fight the injustice that the TCH are trying to bestow. In this ere of blurred issues of what is right or wrong… I believe that the MNA RNs stand on the right side of what is right! Our eyes are open and we see the truth! We are fighting for what is right on many different levels.
AND… YOU: Novice RN are the ONLY ONE that said: and if you reference what YOU SAID: YOUR WORDS! “Does not being able to go into a restautaurant or bathroom because you’re black really on the same level”? YOU ARE THE ONE THAT IS OUT OF LINE! Jeff’s comment has content and substance, yours is pathetic! You should audit what comes out of your head! Those words are from you not Jeff. Shame on you! Maybe you have never had to fight for what you believe in… Well on June 10th look at it as the opportunity of a lifetime to take a stand and fight for what you believe is right. If you don’t believe in MNA RNs or working at a UNION hospital, then go non-union. But, don’t be wishy-washy and try to sit on both sides of the fence. 12,000 MNA RNs voted 90% strong! SOLIDARITY!
P.S. Novice RN: You could only wish that you were half as good of a nurse as Jeff is. (You rock Jeff).
I’m not comparing the issues they stood for, only pointing out that they stood up for what they believed in. And just because some issues center around fair compensation & benefits does not mean that there is no moral component: fat-cat CEO’s making millions of dollars, 10’s of millions being poured into “facilities”, and 100’s of millions in profits while the wage-earner slowly has pay & benefits whittled away–corporate greed at its finest. And don’t say “well, nurses have it better than many others” because that is no justification. Just because others have lost adequate health care, pensions, fair pay, etc. does not mean it’s right. Remember that labor unions in this country are responsible for the 5-day work week, the end to sweatshops & child labor, fair pay, employee safety, etc. All are moral & ethical issues…
Jeff what a great way to say it… and Thank you for saying it to: “Veritas” and “I am a nurse” and the like. I keep hoping that they will just go away… afterall aren’t they on the MNA RN site? Do they not understand who lives here? But, alas… they just keep coming back and then they wonder why they get “testy” replies and rebuttals… DUH! If they don’t want to fight… well then, maybe they shouldn’t pick a fight. MNA RNs won’t back down. We stand in solidarity! We are fighting for the future of nursing! We are fighting for what we believe in. June 10th there will be the largest nurses strike in the history of the United States. All MNA RNs welcome, and your families, and your friends, and your neighbors, and your supporters, and the other labor unions in the state… 12,000 MNA RNs and in California there will be 13,000 more RNs. Sorta gives me goosebumps!
MNA RN // June 5, 2010 at 6:38 am | Reply
I will repeat myself!
You can kick me, you can hurt me, you can try to demoralize me, you can insult me… You can punch me in the face and make my nose bleed… You can knock me to the ground… But, as long as I can… I will stand up against you and what you are trying to do… I will stand in front of you with blood dripping from my face and I still will not back down. I will continue to stand up to you!
Thankyou “I am a Nurse” for our levelheaded commentary–exactly what I have been promoting by talking about numbers–which do not lie.
Eric–look at you…… There isn’t a conciliatory bone left in you–no hope of bargaining IN GOOD FAITH from you. You are consumed by accusatory anger–willing to point a finger at anyone who offers some perspective to this hysteria.
Hey Falsus Rn –I have been their and we have been trying to bargin in good fatih. We offered to make adjustments on our proposals and they still said no. We have tried, but they will not even come to the same room we are in to talk. They want us to talk about their issues only. That is not bargaining! Then they did not even have the decency to tell us or Federal Mediators, in person, that they thought the negotiations were done. We found out through the media that the hospitals considered the negotiation stalled and were done for the day. We were sitting the room waiting for a responce from the employer when we heard this info. Again how is this bargaining in good faith, Falsus? It is not! Except maybe for you and management, but not me or the others who are trying to protect our patients and our jobs as nurses. I think you are afraid of the truth, Falsus, and you are trying to protect your intrests by siding with management.
thank you, eric, and all the other bargaining team members, for staying strong and united for our profession. and for your patience and tireless work. how de-moralizing and offensive, the way you’ve been treated (on behalf of all of us). as far as “conciliatory bones” you may or may not have left (and i can see where conciliation may have turned to anger- and passion), i’m going to say it is not so bankrupt as the twin cities hospitals. ie, from the pioneer press on 6/5/10 via maureen schiner the spokesperson: “we’re going to have this one-day strike and it’s not going to get the contract settled.” again, thank you for your patience, strength and integrity.
To Veritas:
Bla,bla, bla, bla… eric at least knows what he is talking about and it’s obvious that you don’t.
Correction: for YOUR levelheaded commentary, “I am a Nurse.”
You all are only thinking of yourselves. You think nothing of the hard work the aids do. You don’t realize what an aid does for you. The aids are part of you but there is never any mention of the aids. You all make one hell of a nice wage. You all say this is not about the money but it is. No I do not want to be a nurse.
To: stuckinthemiddle:
Then form a union if you don’t believe in your working conditions. This is the MNA RN site… this is where we talk about MNA RN issues… maybe you should start your own blog site?
“blood dripping down from my face”. You just proved you are a nut. Go away management. Guess what we are on to your games. Stay strong.
Mary:
I should have clarified that one better… Ooops. I did that one. I am MNA RN, not management. (scares me just to think of it). I meant it as fighting against TCH! Yea, maybe I am a nut. But I’m an MNA RN nut. But, TCH are crazy!
LOL…
MNA Facebook has some humor added in… This blog site is really getting intense… Serious issues. I was researching how unions began… we should all have that in mind and know just how hard they fought for their unions to be started. Different times but the injustice is still there, but we do have a union now and because of that we also have a voice and the power to promote change for the better. I don’t want that to be taken away. MNA RN!
To clear up the paranoia: I am an RN here in the Twin Cities, and I pay my union dues like everyone else here. I just want some common-sense discussion–I want a reality check. All I read here is, “They don’t care about us, they don’t care about patients, they don’t care about Magnet, they don’t respect us, they are corrupt, etc. Well, no one was saying that a few months ago, or during the sweet contracts I have mentioned in previous posts. But now, your employers have been turned into monsters–dehumanized–which is always a prerequisite before going to war.
I would like to hear from someone on the bargaining team, here and now. Please tell me about your staffing proposal for ME, an RN who takes care of three-to-four patients on days and evenings on a general med-surg unit. Are you proposing that I have four all the time? Three? Three-to-four? And what is this California staffing model that you are allegedly promoting. I say that because I can’t seem to get a straight answer about any of this. Remember, my job is on the line–you work for me.
it sure seems to me that the twin cities hospitals are preparing for war. it was not that long ago that the nurses were praised and supported (and COURTED) by the hospital for magnet status. and now what? the hospitals have demonstrated NO respect or value for the nurses. they want us to do more for less, and they will not even CONSIDER any of their nurses proposals. the hospitals have certainly “de-humanized” the nurses, perhaps, as you say, as a prerequisite to war.
To: mna rn:
eric entered this in an above blog… it is excellent sentiment! eric has been doing a fantastic job with his blogs… He is steadfast in his desire to get the information out there! eric I hope that it was alright to repeat your entry… it is worth repeating. Thank you eric!
Better to fight for something than live for nothing.
George S. Patton
And yes, I want a nurse who will get a little angry and advocate for something like their patients or their profession. To fight for something is to care.
To Veritas:
I just had to clean something up that smells almost as bad as what you are talking about…
We took another vote… and we agree 90%… we think you are: “something else…”
Well MNA RN, the level of your discourse is certainly in the toilet.
Veritas,
You have a union steward to answer those questions, if you are indeed a nurse. You also apparently have access to a computer, and all your answers to your questions are at the mymna web page. But of course, you already know that, being a real MNA nurse and all……riiiiight?
Beaney, I have been on MyMNA, and there is nothing there on current issues that I can see–just background info, and it’s not easy talking to my stewards in passing, as we are coming on shift or going off, and they are not as up-to-date on each negotiating point as you may think. I also called MNA and asked about staffing proposals by MNA. I was referred to someone’s voicemail who was out of the office for severa days. When I called back, the operator finally said, “Listen, no offence, but I don’t even know if you are a member here.” Again, I experienced the same suspicion and counterespionage mentality that you like to share. I just want a straight answer about what the staffing proposals are from MNA–a quick reference, OK?
The opening mna proposal to our employer for my hospital clearly states the staffing proposals. I am not sure about all the mna proposals though.
“MNA proposes that the hospitals modernize the method for staffing. We have proposed that the hospitals budget for staff as if the patient unit or department is full instead of budgeting at an average daily census. Staffing at an average daily census works only a portion of the time.
Flexing up for additional patients or acuity at the last minute is ineffective and expensive. The
census at midnight has long been known to be an ineffective measure for budgeting for staff for
example: it does not accurately account for two patients in a bed in one day.
The current antiquated methods do not reflect admissions, discharges, or transfers. Our proposal provides for a maximum number of patients that an RN can care for, taking into account the requirements of the patient. Currently, emergency rooms and recovery areas warehouse patients because staff and beds are not available. Our proposal includes a mandate for hospitals to maintain a buffer of 10 percent of bed capacity for ED admissions and emergency care.
Patients are put at risk as a result of the number of patients that the nurse may be required to
prevent falls, infections, and delay of care. This is accomplished through regulating the number of patients.” this was created by someone else and put on a flyer. I hope it helps.
Were I work we have a 1000am cut off time for surgicals .So if they are not in recovery by 1000am then we cannot staff the floor to take them but have to wait for a bed to open up. But what usually happens is that they get held in PACU until the evening shift at 3pm. Then the nurses on the evening shift get slaughtered with these surgical and more admits. We want the employer to allow us to staff for these surgicals and open up these bottle neck areas. A nurse with multiple fresh surgicals and or admits is going to struggle in providing safe patient care. Thus creating a more balance in patient flow and better and safe care.
In December we were very busy and the surgeries were being held for hours. The nurses had been complaining about this situation for awhile. Finally the MDs got mad and bingo the cut off time was changed to 1200pm. Guess what happened staffing was better, patient flow was imporved, and patients were able to get out of these bottle neck areas like PACU or ED and to the floors were they belong and could get the care they deserved. We were very irratated that they took the MDs complaints seriously but not the nurses. As nurses we have an understanding about staffing and safe patient care. This proposal is about getting the empoyer to engage the nurses in conversations about staffing and safe patient care. We believe that by having ratios, a more realistic approach to staffing, and getting patients were they belong will increase quality and safety of care. Do we think we will get all of what we are asking for? No. But we would like to get some langauge in the contract to build upon in the future, and keep improving the care we provide. Also this staffing language will help prevent the emloyer from giving bonuses to Unit Managers for keeping their staffing at a low and dangerous level.
Finally the more contact patients have with nurses the less likely they will develope infection, pressure ulcers, UTIs, fall and etc. By decreasing these adverse advents will ultimately improve their bottom line and our profession.
With shame and a bruised self-image I am publically apologizing to my fellow MNA colleagues for my disloyalty. For I wasn’t planning to honor the picket line and had communicated my intentions, accompanied by my explanations of “why”, to the Fairview Southdale Chair, Cindy Kroos.
What has turned my thought waves upside down is the contrast of the character of the response I received from Cindy and those present (Jeanne and a MNA employee) when I made my original intentions known, versus, the continuous stream of false accusations and efficiency impairing boundaries I receive from the two managers in my unit.
Instead of:
– Being rudely accused of not wearing my Vocera (a wireless tracking/telephone device) when I was wearing it, [Yes, professionals are continuously “tracked” like whales in the ocean with radio devices – even into the bathroom. And when you need the wireless telephone-half of the device, it often doesn’t work.]
– being rudely accused of bringing food to my work area, when I had none in my hands,
– continuously being expected to admit TWO patients scheduled at the SAME time (there is only one contract nurse), while NOT being allowed to put the patient’s information sticker on 7 forms prior to the patient’s arrival, (this includes retrieving the patient from the lobby and getting them dressed for the procedure), there isn’t much time left in that half hour to ask two patients for their history while documenting it, nor time to teach them about the procedure and sign the informed consent, all while connecting with the patient with direct eye contact! And heaven forbid the patient would need to use the restroom!),
– being expected to for-go lunch because a biopsy is SCHEDULED during the only time available for lunch, and
– attempting to bully me into admitting something I was not guilty of: admitting I, the nurse, was responsible for a doctor dictating the wrong addendum on a patient’s report, which good charting rescued me from.
In contrast Cindy, Jeanne and the MNA employee met my regrettable announcement with disappointment but kind and caring understanding. They could have announced that I needed to leave the building ASAP, but they didn’t. They could have announced that I would not receive any further support from their services, but they didn’t.
It is this innate loving compassion that I need to be loyal to, loving compassion that overflows onto every patient that enters the medical system from a nurse – when allotted time and a not-over-expanded, confined by false boundaries, nurse – allows.
Combine this public announcement of the harassment I’ve received from management with the fact that I am a senior nurse whose salary the administration is aggressively trying to relieve itself of and two questions arise:
– is the harassment I am receiving a manipulation to make me quit? (Is the present high patient / nurse ratio a manipulation to make most senior nurses reduce hours or quit? What a way for administration to say, “Thank you, nurses, for your dedication and service.)
– and when this present battle is over – will I have a job?
Regrettably, I won’t see your faces on the picket line secondary to the limitations caused by inoperable spinal stenosis (exacerbated by 20 plus years of the in-hospital working conditions). Please know my love, thoughts and prayers are with all of you, us, as we travel this wilderness road. I am so sorry it took me so long to “wake-up” this time around.
Press on – Pat
MNA RN=unprofessional name caller. Get a life, stop embarrassing the nursing profession. It’s people like you that make nurses look like greedy, money hungry idiots. Fight for the patients, or don’t fight at all.
To Shelly:
I’ll get a life if you get a clue!
Pat, what a brave and beautiful statement.
Watch News 9 tonight: June 6th. Actual-real public with their stories! How the shortage of adequate staffing in the hospitals has impacted them personally. SEE the truth – HEAR the truth! It may be hard for some people to watch. It will be especially hard for the people that do not want to know the truth!
To MNA RN which channel is that news on? I don’t want to miss it!
To Bonnie: Please pass this information on to others!
IMPORTANT! GOTTA SEE THIS!
To all the TCH, CEOs, managers, scabs (icky creatures).
MNA RNs! And they wonder what we are fighting for! How many reasons do we have to give… How many examples do they need to see!
JUNE 10th MNA RNs stand up united and say:”ENOUGH!”
Dear PUBLIC!
You NEED to see this story that just aired on FOX 9 News. Please click the link below to watch!Minnesota Nurses Prep for Strike
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com
MINNEAPOLIS – On Thursday, Minnesota nurses will go on strike. With the strike, they plan to reveal stories as to why more staffing is essential.
Shelley
Since money does not matter to you, I am assuming you only do volunteer, charitable nursing then, taking no pay at all, for the patients right? No? You actually take money for nursing? Then you are a hypocrite.
IMPORTANT! GOTTA SEE THIS!
To all the TCH, CEOs, managers, scabs (icky creatures).
MNA RNs! And they wonder what we are fighting for! How many reasons do we have to give… How many examples do they need to see!
JUNE 10th MNA RNs stand up united and say:”ENOUGH!”
Dear PUBLIC!
You NEED to see this story that just aired on FOX 9 News. Please click the link below to watch!Minnesota Nurses Prep for Strike
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com
MINNEAPOLIS – On Thursday, Minnesota nurses will go on strike. With the strike, they plan to reveal stories as to why more staffing is essential.
This is also on MNA Twitter! Needs to be added to MNA Facebook also!
Being a good nurse in the hospital is harder than it ever has been, and job conditions are bound to get worse if nurses don’t advocate for each other and for their profession. Hospitals have created increasing patient expectations for “personalized care and service”, and at the same time it is disabling nurses by cutting staff, not replacing broken equipment, requiring mounds of redundant documentation, expecting nurses to care for more and sicker patients with the help of a couple of overworked or “burned out” nursing assistants, denying vacation requests, and then criticizing and disciplining nurses for ridiculous things like eating or drinking at the desk (even though you don’t have time for a break), using sick days (even if you’re sick), getting a patient or co-worker complaint (validity doesn’t matter), using overtime (even if you had an unreasonable assignment and never had a break or went to the toilet during your shift), failing to introduce yourself to a visitor, or for not smiling enough. The nurse manager role USED to be trusted leader and advocate for the bedside nurse, but unfortunately this is no longer true. Sadly, none of management is trustworthy. So stand together MNA Nurses, and stand strong.
Thank you, Eric, for your detailed and easy to understand explanation of MNA staffing proposals–from your posting of June 7 at 2:23am. I have read of these staffing targets only on the TCH website, under their comparison chart of proposals from each side. Now I have heard them from you, and this helps clarify things.
I am still not sure what the TCH means when they say that they want to have flexibility in staffing to meet flucuating census in these difficult economic times, but I am sure part of that language includes their proposal to up our mandatory LOA shifts from 3/yr to at least 6/yr–many of which would be on holiday shifts of double pay, as has been happening, but would now occur more frequently. To clear up one persistent misunderstanding–I do not believe this flexibility includes floating RNs to different hospitals–the intent there is to extend successful staffing models to other hospitals, not actual people. John Nemo of MNA media relations also sees that interpretation, per our conversation.
Eric, I think we all understand your description of what happens to daily planning on a unit when the surgical schedule is overwhelmed by ED and ICU transfers, direct admits, etc. Although central staffing usually supplies the needed staff according to the grid, the types of patients any RN can get are daunting, such as a surgical–even two–a difficult discharge– a transfer or admit and hopefully one from the previous shift–or not. All of this, plus the unexpected, will lead to an unsatisfactory shift.
Thanks again, Eric, for putting in so much additional time on this blog. I apologize to you for saying you are not conciliatory. Let’s all try to say things we would only say in person. This is not just any internet blog–we are coworkers.
We need the have some control over the flow of patients. Not on those crazy days when everything is full, but on a normal day. I can spend hours on a discharge, with teaching, setting up home care, arranging the prescriptions, getting the O2 set up, etc. Then the pt. is discharged and I can finally see my other patients, but then I get an admission/transfer/post-op right away, and can’t. The hospital wants to assign a number of beds to each nurse, regardless of acuity, or complexity. Empty bed? Fill er up. We need to be able to say, I can take that admission, after I start this unit of blood. As it is now, we have no option. The patient just shows up, after the room is hastily cleaned, and the floor is still wet. Sometimes the patient is in the hall waiting on a litter, waiting for the room to be cleaned. If the computer shows that room is empty, then by god, let’s fill that bed. Some days. one bed can have 3 patients (the bookkeepers dream I suppose ). Pt. #1 discharged in morning, #2 arrives from ER, goes home in afternoon, #3 arrives in evening. They can charge for that bed 3 times in one day. I can start with 4 patients, but with all the turnover of discharges and admissions, I’ve really had 8 or 10 patients that day.
To Veritas:
No not all of us are coworkers. I KNOW who are my coworkers and I know which ones are MNA RNs! And no not everyone on this site is going to make nice. MNA RNs know who many of them are that frequent this site – and no they are NOT co-workers… and THEIR intentions are NOT HONORABLE. June 10th MNA RNs and many many many supporters will be in the largest nursing strike in the history of the United States! And for a multitude of reasons listed throughout this blog and now finally our story is getting out to the newstations. It is being said loud and clear and from non biased sources. Support is coming forth because the truth is there and people are starting to hear it… and see it, and believe it. MNA RNs stand strong and we will fight for what is right! If you do not want to fight then don’t come here to this site looking for a fight. Because, MNA RNs are ready.
Read two versions of the same story. There is NO WAY that either one is 100% true. Somewhere there is a middle ground that needs to be reached, and with the rhetoric (from BOTH sides) I imagine that there will be no compromise until the issue becomes even more blown up than it already is.
This is unproductive, and it is damaging the credibility of both parties.
“For two long days we, your elected bargaining teams, showed up to bargain a fair and just contract, and we are sorry to report that the employer has refused to bargain in good faith. They said that not one word, comma, letter, or sentence was acceptable in our proposals. They said unless you agree to their concessions there will be no bargaining.”
“During the course of today’s session, Allina offered to limit the issues to a specific number. Unfortunately, the union was unwilling to commit to reducing the number of issues. The union made it clear that it was unwilling to discuss any of Allina’s proposals (effectively insisting we drop all of our proposals) and the union would not drop or modify any of its proposals. “
I completely agree! The longer this “negotiation” goes on the less faith I have in either side. I hope once MNA gets to set their record for the largest strike they’ll come back to the table and be willing to actually negotiate, not just refuse to budge on their proposals.
Veritas, let me attempt to enlighten you on the subject of “flexibility in staffing to meet flucuating census in these difficult economic times”. Ever hear of floating? Mandatory on-call? Lay-off? The hospitals, in essense, want to be allowed to pull RNs from their floor, unit, assignment (choose the terminology you prefer) send them elsewhere for an hour, shift, or whatever they determine the need is. They don’t want to utilize Flyers because the flyers might have some down time. They DO want to be able to call you in on your days off, or send you home if THEY determine there is no need for you. Staffing needs to be nursing driven, not administration dictated. (By the way, Veritas, Me still thinks I smell a rat!)
To Bonnie:
I agree… and they just keep leaving their nasty little droppings all over the place. Just one more thing that they leave for the nurses to have to clean up.
Is all of this name calling really necessary? I thought we were all professionals.
Bonnie, if I am a rat, then you are a MOLE–planted here to further agitate. As for your enlightening rant–ever hear of a work agreement?
TheTruthIsInTheMiddle: Allina is only one of the TCH, and the TCH are the ones who chose to bargin collectively. Now the game is split us up and see if “every man for himself” will confuse and anger us even more. The TCH cannot even show the respect it requires to sit across the table and look us in the eye. Negotiations require communication and Maureen doesn’t cut it. Let’s get HER in a room across the table from us to discuss the “left field” ideas and see how far that goes. It won’t happen because she doesn’t really know anything about the issues, and they don’t really want to communicate, only intimidate. They hired her to read their script and manipulate the media. I cannot really believe the speed with which “Outside Consultants” are brought in to solve an institutions problems when they have totally competent advisors already working in the hospital. Says a lot to me about the level of trust within the Administration of TCH, at least NMMC!
Nurses, we the members of SEIU, your support staff at the facilites want you to know that your fight is our fight! We are behind you and with you and support you all the way! We honor your courage and respect your decision! You’ve got to stand for something or you will fall for anything! I will be on the line with you!
MNA RN, I am an excellent nurse. I am not sure how you can make a statement about the quality of nurse I am having never met me or observed me care for my patients. I care deeply about my patients and yes my fellow MNA co-workers as well as the outcome of these negotiations. Why do you find it is necessary to name call and belittle in your postings?
It’s your tone…
Get the chains ready, I smell a lockout. Imagine going from $38 an hour average to $14.65 ( the top pay for unemployment ) and the added cost of insurance( COBRA ) while unemployed. I would be willing to bet, that after 40 or so days out of work ( I assume you all want to beat the last record ? ) The wage that you currently have and insurance, will look pretty damn good by then. I know a few of you will be STARVING by then! I can only imagine how many of you already have spouses that are out of work?
TCH is aware of this, you watch the foot dragging that’s going to happen. Time is on their side, not MNA’s. Good luck to you all, I hope your fight is worth the battle scars that are going to remain. You should change your logo to: ” MNA…..We care about you……after we care for ourselves first “
And this inspiring message was brought to you by Ken Paulus. The leader is who is only as happy as his saddest child.
Hey Ken, lets talk about the millions you will be losing because your census will be at critically low levels, and you only have a handful of scabs to work for you and your friends.
Now that you have had your say you should go home and miss treat au pair and kick your dog.
Hey you might want to read about the strike at Temple University Hospital. I bet they had the same thoughts as you and yet what happened? That’s right the employer lost and the nurses won!
This strike being brought to you by 12,000 MNA nurses.
Not losing millions. See, this is how it works. A facility ramps down census in preperation of strike. Say the average census is 300. You ramp down to 200 for strike. When 1 day strike is over, you DON’T ramp census back up. You keep it at the 200. Then, if your facilty had 900RN’s, you don’t need all back at once, you need only, say 600. That leaves the other 300 very upset and LAID OFF. After several weeks or months of this ( $14.65 an hour max unemployment ) higher COBRA health insurance, the mighty wall of MNA begins to crumble. Doesn’t sound fair does it? I don’t think so either, but IMHO, I think this is what’s going to happen. Good Luck to all. Hang in there.
I guess what you do not seem to understand that this is ULP strike and a 1 day strike and their is is no recall or layoff. No permanent lockout buddy. Nurses come back to work. If needed the employer can give MLOA or ask employees to take voluntary leave if they want. Language in our contract which is still enforce until the new one is signed. So we all return to work as scheduled.
You can try to keep census artifiaclly low. I have talked to some of the surgeons and docs I do not believe that this strategy will fly or last. They have a business to run also. Unless of course you are willing to reimburse them for their lost profits.
This last month our census, were I work, has been very high. Is Allina, Fairview, Healtheast and etc going to be ok with losing patients to competitors for a long period of time? They will feel a economic hit also.
MNA RN, are YOU a nurse? If you are, do you ever work, or do you just spend your day sitting on this blog insulting everyone that doesn’t see 100% eye to eye with you. Go ahead, once you finish looking up my IP address, I eagerly await the accusation that I’m a member of management, one of the attorneys or a member of the PR team.
On the subject of IP addresses, it’s funny how the line of comments that touched on that subject a few days back has disappeared…if looking up IP addresses isn’t illegal, it most definitely is immoral. Have the IP addresses of those that agree with you been looked up? I doubt it.
Eric and Beaney, your insults are also appreciated and expected. Being called a SCAB by a BACS (I just coined this term, because I think you are ass-backward) is actually quite refreshing.
Aren’t you creative. Enjoy your one day at work as scab. But I would rather be ass-backwards fighting for patients and for my profession then be you. Your comment certianly made chuckle, thanks I needed a laugh 🙂
MNA RNs demand SAFE STAFFING!
It may seem a strange principle to enunciate as the very first requirement in a hospital that it should do the sick no harm.
Florence Nightingale
I’m confused. The union is harping about patient safety and how much they care. Yet, they are walking out on the people that they claim they care about… It doesn’t make sense.
Also, do the nurses realize what they’re doing to the people that support them when they are working? I know a fellow that will be putting in close to 85 hours this week because of the MNA and it’s stance.
Fact of the matter is you can call it a Patient Care/Unfair labor strike when in all reality is that nurses don’t want to float anymore and they want a 7% raise per year. While your co-workers/support staff didn’t/won’t get a raise this year and probably won’t get one next year. However, they are more than happy in their jobs.
Grow up MNA, take a look what’s around you. Take a look at the economy. Your dang lucky you’re not getting locked out.
We do not need to grow up. We know what is at stake here. If the employers were to have their way then the whole system would suffer. And you and your coworker would be attacked next. I have heard from support people to hang in there, you cannot let them do this to you, we will be on the line with you after our shift. They say this because they know with this employer no one is safe from their greed and destuctive demands. So step aside because we have a fight to win.
Confused- #1 Because you have to work during the strike, don’t badmouth the nurses. #2 Get your facts straight. #3 If you are happy getting no raise this year, good for you! #4 Don’t like your situation? Maybe you need a good union to help you fight for what you and your co-workers deserve. This is an MNA blog. If you don’t like what you read, stop reading. I’m tired of those who aren’t involved or welcome because of their attitude and feeling sorry for themselves bad mouthing the RNs. You weren’t invited- go away. (And chew on this! If they are locked out, the TCH will continue paying scabs outragous wages and benefits while the MNA RNs collect unemployment.)
Way to go Bonnie!
Thanks to all the MNA RNs, our representatives, our friends and neighbors, and our supporters! We will fight a good fight! SOLIDARITY!
For the others… well, I think there’s a very good ointment that we could put on you that would hopefully clear up your problem. It’s called Preparation H.
As a patient let me just give a big THANK YOU! THANK YOU to those wonderful nurses that sat with me and calmed my fears while I cried because I was scared. THANK YOU! Station 30 (oncology) nurses at Abbott YOU ARE AWESOME! If I am strong enough on Thursday I will be there for you as you were there for me. THANK YOU!
#1 – Bonnie you’re the pot calling the kettle black. 2 responses and no one acknowledges any point I brought up. Just attacks because someone felt they were pushed into a corner.
Sick of outsiders coming to your site and posting? Then stop advertising your website, faceboock account, and twitter account.
I’m not siding with Mgmt either. There have been exaggerations made by both sides. If the Hospitals had a website message board, I’d post there as well.
#2 My facts are right. 3.5% step increase along with a 3.5% annual increase. Wanting the Hospitals not fill their beds, but you want %100 staffing.
#3 Irrelevant. My happiness can only be measured by me
#4 Again, irrelevant. My situation has nothing to do with yours
All I see from the MNA is Symbolism over Substance. As shown by the HIPPA viloations that happened during your “press conference”.
Fight the good fight MNA, you’re doing the patients you are abandoning on Thursday a great justice. You say you care, but yet you’re abandoning your patients with no remorse, no regret. Only the sound of your WIN THE FIGHT. I call that hypocrisy.
I agree with you we are doing a great justice for our patients for standing and fighting for safe patient care. To fight for something is to care. Thank you for aknowledging this.
I personally hoped it would not come to this, but I have to strike in order to protect and improve the care we provide and to protect and imporve our profession. The employer wasted two days of negotiations. They abandoned us at the negotiations and left building failing to notifying us or the federal mediators. They left with us little or no options, but to strike. Email the president and ceo of hosptial you work at and tell them bargain. That is were hypocrisy lives. They say they love nurse and provide excellent care and yet they let this strike happen in order to inflict pain on nurses and destroy our profession for money. That is hypocritical!
For those of you blindly eating up everything MNA spoon feeds you, and then ridiculing anyone who might disagree with a certain thought:
Maybe you should do a little research beyond the MNA and NNU sites.
Both sides stalled at negotiations! Not just the hospitals, not just MNA.
MNA has everything to gain from a strike; especially noteriety with historical figures.
We nurses and our patients are the ones that lose. I feel neither side has bargained in good faith; and I think MNA has planned this strike since well before the first negotiations.
If you people havent realized we are in a recession. I personally cant afford to go on strike more than this once.
Its truly sickening to hear the hypocrisy of crying over safe staffing when most of what i hear from nurses is over pension and raises.
Just suggesting that you extreme pro-MNA RNs get some perspective from someone other than your MNA reps.
think about it.
You’re right we and patients sure will lose if the employer gets what they want. Unrestricted floating, no permanenet schedule, flex start times with no guarantee to keep you FTE whole, on-call on your days off and even after working 8 hour shift, partial shift cancellation, may change your work agreement as they need, the ability to change grids or matrix twice a year ,or as needed to keep their productivity and profits high, increase MLOA from 3 to 6 for greater flexability, the destruction of joint decision commitees, change our insurance plans to the Allina plans, which have made other employees go broke and forced them to find a second jobs, and more. You tell me how these proposals will advance safe patient care and the our profession?
I have worked some crappy jobs in my life, but somehow they had managed to treat me and others better then this employer wants to treat nurses. This is not spoon feed MNA nonsense! You need to get some prespective. We give in now and these concessions will be our working conditions for a long time, and they will want more in the future! Short term gains and then a life pain, I and many others cannot advocate for this.
I’m an Allina employee (nonRN) who uses one of the Allina Health plans. There’s nothing wrong with them! Really…people are going broke and having to find other jobs because they are so lousy? Give me a break. Stop spreading bs like this. When you do this it only dilutes the effectiveness of your arguments over legitimate concerns.
These are plans are crap. We have had Mds tell us that these plans are horrible and to fight the employer on this issue. They are expensive and restrictive. They would only appear to be decent plans if you do not have any medical conditions. But if you do become sick, or have a child, or something tragic happens then they become very expensive very quickly. But you are entitled to your opinion.
GOTTA READ!
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ag.state.mn.us%2FConsumer%2FPressRelease%2F090414MedCreditInterest.asp&h=99630
It made me sick to see Gov. Pawlenty advocating for the Hospitals this morning. He is always for Big Business, which is exactly what the Hospitals are. The GREED reminds me of BP and ENRON. I retired from nursing after 25 years in ICU mostly at Fairview. We worked so hard for every little thing we got in negotiations back then. Lets not go backwards now. I’ll be joining you on the picket line tomorrow. I’m so proud of all of you!
DON’T GIVE IN HOSPITALS!!! MNA is asking TOO much. All MNA wants it $$$ and so do thier nurses. If they ‘truely’ cared about patients they would not be walking out for a day. They say its about “patient safety / staffing” bull! Its all about their pension and getting more money. Every RN I have talked to said “We wanted a big raise and to keep our pension, when the hospitals wouldn’t give in, MNA said we will put in the ‘safe staffing issue’. ”
Sounds like a HUGE lack of communication between MNA and the nurses they represent! HOSPITALS…. PLEASE DON’T GIVE INTO THEIR DEMANDS!
SCAB’s heal wounds! NONE of you are healing any wounds by walking out are you! Careful how you use the term SCAB!!!!!!!! To me it appears you should be called a killer by walking out, at least the replacements actually DO care!
Go MAS!!! Pull the raises and pension issues off the table if it is all about patient safety. Go Hospitals. MNA, wake up now is not the time to draw a line in the sand, you will lose.
I listened to KQ this morning and they were talking about the strike. MNA has not snowed anyone, they talked about it being about the money. MNA you are making the nurses look like fools and your publicity stunt is back firing.
I am responding to “Just Me” comments. First of all why are you listening to KQ ??? The media will make of this what they will. If you are a nurse then you should get your facts before you criticize the MNA. Just ask one of the MNA reps and they can show you the FACTS. As nurses, we need to stand together and get the word out to the public why we are striking, to protect our patients!!!! It is not about money as a gain to nurses, we have already agreed to 0% increase in the next year!!!
As nurses we should all be on the same team and have our main goal and drive be “patient safety and quality patient care!! THIS is what we are fighting for today out on the picket line!! If no one ever stood up for anything or anyone for the good of it all then we would all be living in a “Hitler type era”. A one day strike is very conservative and shows we really do CARE!!! Maybe we should put blame where blame is due, at the hospitals for not “trying” to see the nurses side of things. They are not caring at all if they feel the need to put patient care and safety on the line and bring in nurses from elsewhere who have no clue about our hospital systems and set ups. The Hospitals WILL NOT WIN . If you ask me it is not even about WINNING OR LOSING! This all comes down to working together to help save lives in the most safe and adequately staffed nurse-patient care settings! If anyone loses it will be the patients in the long run! We are also protecting the future of nursing. If hospitals got to run the nurses jobs the way they wanted then we probably wouldn’t have too many nurses left because of severe burn-out.
I really hope that those of you who are MNA Nurses that are not supportive of the strike and MNA itself realize that YOU pay the MNA to protect YOUR jobs!!! Look at it this way—-if you did not have a union standing on the line right now to protect your jobs and the very reason you are there (patients) then without the union—-YOU MOST LIKELY WOULD NOT HAVE A JOB RIGHT NOW!! With our country in recession and soo many people losing their jobs –it could be you too!! The hospitals made profits this last year but yet they still want to cut the most important things—like staff —-if they had their way. We as nurses are on the front lines of patients healthcare and if that gets messed with then we will see a HUGE change and it wouldn’t be for QUALITY CARE!!!
So just stop right now and think about —–Hmmmm maybe MNA is doing a good thing here. We could very easily be targets of lay-offs and unfair labor practices which in the long run have a very negative impact on our economy and peoples health. Put yourselves in a patient’s shoes. Yes it is very hard right now with soo many people without jobs but I think we could see more if we let the hospitals have their way. We are also protecting our jobs/keeping our jobs when we stand up along side of MNA and bond together no matter what it takes. Just talk to some of the nurses that have gone through this before, they can tell you how worth it it is!!!! Hang in there Nurses and bond together for a short while and it will be well worth it to our jobs, the future of nursing and our patients!
By the way, those of you who are soo stuck on the $$$$ and think that is our main goal, well—maybe you should do your own research before you start blaming the nurses for being “greedy”. If you really want to focus on that then go look to see how much $$ all the Hospitals presidents and upper admins make a year, not to mention bonuses they get, while many nurses have spouses etc. without jobs and work our butts off to make ends meet for our families while having to feel burn-out form work and all the stressors that come with that.
I have no bad feelings toward the “SCAB'” nurses. They get paid Big bucks to do their kind of jobs and they chose this kind of work. I am grateful that they can be their to help out during this time. They are actually helping us out by trying their best to care for patients while we do what we have to do for our patients and maybe even for the future jobs of some of those SCAB nurses if they decide to have a more permanent job in a hospital.
To Chewie:
You need to go chewie on a bone…
And now for your viewing entertainment:
Gotta see this:
Union One – No Union Busters – Don’t Believe the Hype!
http://www.nobusters.org
Chewie:
Maybe it will give you something to chew on!
Well congrats MNA! All you accomplished was keeping the people who support you at your job, away from their families for about 4 days. Not to mention the lack of sleep that some of the people that support you at your jobs lost. I’m talking about the IT departments, the security departments, HR, payroll, etc. You made one hell of an impression with them. Congrats! I have no shame in telling my 6 year old daughter why she hasn’t seen her mom and dad over the past 4 days…
If you do not like what is going then tell your employer to sit and talk with the nurses instead of hiding from them
If this strike or labor dispute is REALLY about staffing levels, why don’t you encourage your union to remove the financial aspect of your proposal. What’s that? You won’t? Oh, so it really ISN’T about patient safety. You just want more money…. I’m sorry.
Gotta see this:
Union One – No Union Busters – Don’t Believe the Hype!
http://www.nobusters.org
To Chewie:
Oh, Pleeeeeeeeeeessssssssszzzzzzzzzzzzz!
To Chewie:
You are “Barking” up the wrong tree. Go ask your master to give you a bone or manybe some scraps from his plate…
Good News for Doctors-to-Be—and Organized Labor—as Govt. Rules in Hospital Workers Favor – Working I
http://www.inthesetimes.com
In These Times features award-winning investigative reporting about corporate malfeasance and government wrongdoing, insightful analysis of national and international affairs, and sharp cultural criticism about events and ideas that matter.
Frankly I am appalled at the lack of public support for the nurses! The hospitals should be ashamed of the way they are throwing their own employees to the media wolves. These nurses sacrifice day in and day out…literally! Working 12 hr shifts with hardly time to eat a meal, the patient to staff ratios are already being pushed and if the hospitals get their way then look out. After all, it is not the hospital management taking the heat on the front lines from the patient who thinks that they should have a nurse at the bedside in a moment’s notice but have to wait an hour b/c their nurse is tending to 8 others as well. Stay strong nurses…you deserve every penny. And to those of you not standing behind the nurses right now…be careful what you wish for! It may cost you more than you bargain for when YOU are the one waiting in the balance with not enough nurses to save your life!