A New Contract for Minnesota Nurses
Last month, Lynne Bolton wrote about Working America’s efforts to support striking nurses in Minnesota.
Last week, those nurses got resolution: They ratified a new contract.
After more than three months of tense negotiations that included a 24-hour strike, some 12,000 nurses in Minnesota’s Twin Cities yesterday voted to ratify a new three-year contract with 14 area hospitals. The new pact contains no concessions or give-backs and maintains the pension plan.
Although they did not win new safe staffing language they sought, the nurses maintained safe staffing language already in their contract, in which a nurse has a right to close a unit when it becomes unsafe to admit any more patients. The nurses are members of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), an affiliate of National Nurses United (NNU).
As Lynne wrote, this is about solidarity—nurses are fighting for their patients and being supported in that fight by their communities, by other unions, and by organizations like Working America.
Tags: Health Care, unions
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