They are a gritty bunch in this rural northern Minnesota hospital. The 25 nurses of Essentia Health – Sandstone ran a vigorous organizing campaign and successfully won MNA representation in Dec., 2012. Since then, first-time contract negotiations have tested endurance and patience. Now, after 11 months and 22 sessions, the new MNA unit is fortifying its resolve even more over a management proposal to include a Management Rights clause.

The insidious paragraph is so vague, it creates a management perception that wholesale changes can be made on a whim. “We can’t possibly think of everything that might come up during the term of the contract and this language would allow them to think they could arbitrarily change something, and we’d have no chance to bargain,” said MNA nurse negotiator Tara Mach. Her colleague, Erin Olson offers her perspective of why this is an issue. “Sometimes the most convenient choice for management is not always the best for the patients we care for,” said Olson.

The proposal doesn’t sit well with nurses, especially on the heels of an organizing drive. “We’ve had enough of management’s dismissive behavior,” said Mach. “That’s why we sought MNA representation in the first place.”

Sandstone nurses are determined to secure a contract that assures them a place at the table, with assurances if management wants to change anything about employment circumstances, that nurses get a say. “We need to have a voice on decisions that impact patient care,” said Olson. “A contract provides rules that are fair for both the employer and the employee.”

The group is surrounded in a sea of support. “They are not alone, and have the comfort of knowing 20,000 nurses will back them up,” said Essentia Health St. Mary’s Co-Chair Mary Kirsling. She commended her colleagues, saying “This small group of RNs bravely took this on.

Kirsling echoed the concerns of the Sandstone nurses about the management rights proposal. “It undermines the whole contract. It causes management to think you don’t have an agreement and they have no responsibility. According to Kirsling, management rights not only compromises the contract, but patient care as well. “They perceive they can cut corners and sidestep nursing judgment. That makes my skin crawl.”

Kirsling warned that the implications may go beyond Sandstone. “We can’t budge on that, because it will spread in future. This could impact every nurse in Essentia and in the state,” she said. Erin Olson welcomes the backing. “We need to stick together. We have a voice, and together we can be heard!”

Bemidji nurses served up chicken soup Sun., Mar. 9 in front of the town’s iconic Paul Bunyan statue to highlight the dangers of a sick policy imposed by Sanford Bemidji Hospital management.

Nurses face discipline if they use more than three sick days in a row or 40 hours of sick time within a year.  The “sick in” helped warn  community members that the attendance policy could force nurses to be compromised when giving care.  If nurses must work while sick, it could impact recovery if one is hospitalized.

The nurses served chicken noodle soup to all nurses and residents who come by.  They also be collected cans of soup to donate to the Bemidji Community Food Shelf.

Click here or click on the picture below for a video of the action.

Health Care Professionals and Monitoring

The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services amended and passed SF 1890 Wednesday afternoon, which would give the Minnesota Board of Nursing (BoN) more information about health care professionals who are eligible for the Health Professionals Service Program. (To enhance public safety in health care, HPSP monitors health professionals with illnesses as an alternative or adjunct to discipline.) MNA has several concerns about the bill, including that it would give the BoN much greater access to very sensitive personal information about nurses, and take a punitive, rather than chronic disease management, approach to substance abuse issues.

While SF 1890 passed the Senate HHS Committee, legislators and other experts around the table agreed the issues remain and will have to be settled in the Senate Judiciary Committee or somewhere before a final bill goes to the Senate floor.   Even bill sponsors agreed more conversation of refining HPSP and the BoN are needed. To read more about Wednesday’s hearing, visit the MNA Blog.

In the House, Representative Tina Liebling is sponsoring HF1898 which MNA supports, which would stabilize HPSP and address the gap that exists between a nurse being discharged from HPSP and disciplinary action by the Board. This bill is scheduled to be heard in the House Health and Human Services Committee on Tuesday at 2:15 pm in State Office Building Room 200. If you are planning to be at the Capitol on Tuesday for Nurses Day on the Hill, please consider staying for the hearing.

Minimum Wage

The House and Senate conference committee negotiating over raising the minimum wage hit a road block this week. After both sides agreed to raise the minimum wage to $9.50, it seemed like the committee had momentum. But the talks broke down when the Senate side refused to index the minimum wage to inflation, which would essentially give low wage workers an automatic raise of about 15 to 17 cents a year to keep up with the rising costs of food, gas, and housing. The House wants to pass a bill with indexing. MNA nurses have been flooding senators’ inboxes with messages in support of raising the wage and indexing it to inflation, but as of this writing there has been no more news. If you haven’t already, please contact your state senator and ask him or her to raise the minimum wage, and index it to inflation so workers can keep up with the rising cost of living and lift their families out of poverty.

Wages are a Health Issue

On Monday, MNA President Linda Hamilton joined other health experts for an event to highlight the health impact of low wages. Families in poverty can’t afford nutritious food, safe homes, or health care. Raising the wage will help raise families into better health. Read President Hamilton’s comments here