Twin Cities nurses vote to strike

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_4482

Twin Cities nurses vote to strike
By Barb Kucera, Workday editor 20 May 2010

ST. PAUL - Amid chants of “Safe Patient Care,” members of the Minnesota Nurses Association announced they have authorized a strike of Twin Cities hospitals – the largest nursing walkout in U.S. history.

More than 12,000 registered nurses are ready to walk off the job in a one-day strike if a new agreement with six Twin Cities hospital systems can't be reached before June 1, when the current contract expires, the union said. The walkout would affect 14 hospitals in the North Memorial, HealthEast, Allina, Methodist, Children’s and Fairview systems.

Of the 9,000-plus Twin Cities RNs who voted Wednesday, more than 90 percent voted to reject the labor contracts and pension proposals from the hospitals, the union said.

“Nine thousand have spoken very loudly,” MNA President Linda Hamilton said. “It’s our job to negotiate a contract that makes sense for our patients. We will keep them safe.”


Nurses cheered as results of the contract vote were announced at the St. Paul Rivercentre.

Nurses may have voted no to the contract proposal, but “we said ‘yes’ to the future of our profession and the safety of our patients,” said Nellie Munn, an RN at Children’s Hospital.

FULL story at link.