Iowa RNs fighting to join Minnesota Nurses Association

“This is a clear case of the corporate executives running our hospital refusing to put patient safety and the well-being of the nurses who care for them first,” said Doris Ballantyne, a Registered Nurse at the hospital. “All we’re asking for as nurses is the same ability to bargain with our employers over new labor contracts that we’ve had in place for decades now. This isn’t anything new.”

The move is necessitated, she said, because the Iowa Nurses Association, which traditionally represented nurses during contract talks at hospitals including Jennie Edmundson, is moving away from collective bargaining. Because of that, the nearly 200 RNs at Jennie Edmundson felt compelled to reach out to the MNA for representation, according to Ballantyne.

“The vast majority of nurses at Jennie Edmundson want the Minnesota Nurses Association to represent us in contract negotiations,” she said. “But the hospital officials are refusing to address and recognize this request. This should not be a controversial or difficult decision for our employer to make. It’s merely allowing nurses the same voice we’ve always had when it comes to advocating for our patients’ safety and the well-being of the nurses who provide them with critical medical care.”

“We are thrilled that the nurses at Jennie Edmundson reached out to our organization, and we look forward to advocating on behalf of those nurses and their patients,” said Joni Ketter, Director of Organizing for the MNA. “Nurses all across the country face the same critical healthcare challenges in 2010, and all of them have the same desire – to make sure that professional, high-quality nursing care is delivered to their patients in the best manner possible.”

Founded in 1905, the Minnesota Nurses Association has more than 20,000 members. It is also affiliated with National Nurses United, which represents more than 155,000 RNs all across the United States.

“The nurses of the MNA share the same core values and Midwestern roots that we have here at Jennie Edmundson,” Ballantyne said. “That’s why our nurses love the idea of joining their association. It’s just unfortunate the corporate executives at our hospital apparently aren’t supportive of the long-standing right Iowa nurses have when it comes to advocating for our patients and the well-being of nurses through contract negotiations.”

Reprinted from the Minnesota Nurses Association website.

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