Twin Cities RNs Overwhelmingly Approve Contracts Securing Nurses' Rights and Patient Safety

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/05-17-2007/0004591268&EDATE=

Twin Cities RNs Overwhelmingly Approve Contracts Securing Nurses' Rights and Patient Safety

ST. PAUL, Minn., May 17 /PRNewswire/ -- 10,750 Registered Nurses in the
Twin Cities have approved their contracts with 13 separate hospitals by
wide margins today.

"Like union struggles throughout the United States today, nurses saw
unacceptable concessions presented by the employer, and we stood up and
held our ground," said MNA President and United Hospital Co-Chair, Linda
Slattengren, RN. "In fact, we've made unprecedented gains with contract
language that protects bargaining unit status. I am confident this language
will be a standard to benefit other nursing unions across the nation. Most
importantly, these agreements are one step in our vision to advance nursing
practice and to advocate for our patients by every means possible."

"We've shown the power and importance of collective voice," said
Fairview negotiations team member, Jacquie Luoma, RN, BSN. "These
agreements are a prime example of the good we achieve when working people
stand together to fight against attacks on our rights and working
conditions."

Agreements with the Twin Cities hospitals include a three year wage
increase of 11% and solid maintenance of MNA's health insurance plans. The
MNA negotiators also rebuffed overtures to change vacation and time-off
policies. The Twin Cities Hospitals-MNA Pension Plan, the nation's first
portable pension plan for nurses, remains intact, after both parties
decided not to open negotiations for the program.

The new contracts will contain language that the hospitals will not
challenge the supervisory or managerial status of any current member of the
bargaining units during the term of the contract. This was an issue that
arose from recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) rulings involving
nurses who take a lead role on a shift (commonly known as Charge Nurses).
In these rulings the NLRB found that these Charge Nurses were supervisors.
The negotiated language ensures continued inclusion of all current
represented nurses.

FULL story at link.