The Hennepin County Board unanimously approved an agreement with the Minnesota Nurses Association that would recognize a nurses union at Hennepin County Medical Center if a majority of the nurses there sign union authorization cards.

Under the terms of the agreement, which the board approved Tuesday, the MNA has until Aug. 31, 2005, to collect the cards.

"I'm very happy for the board's unanimous support," said David Finke, a nurse at HCMC and a member of the MNA organizing committee. "The card check agreement allows for both nurses who want to be part of a union and nurses who would not want to be part of a union to fairly voice their opinion."

The agreement covers more than 800 workers, including the job classes of clinical educator, nurse roster, senior staff nurse, and staff nurse. To be included, all employees must work at least three shifts per month.

The agreement provides for the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services, a state agency, to verify the signed authorization cards.

The agreement commits HCMC to "maintain a neutral approach to unionization of employees" and requires that HCMC "shall not in any way coerce or influence employees in their decision to be represented by the MNA as their exclusive representative."

In turn, the agreement also requires that "the MNA shall not in any way coerce employees in an effort to influence their decision as to whether the wish to be represented by an exclusive representatives."

Unions long have sought card check agreements as an alternative to contested elections for union recognition supervised by the National Labor Relations Board. Union advocates say NLRB elections often expose workers to employer threats and intimidation.

In response to questions from County Commissioner Linda Koblick, William Peters, Hennepin County's labor relations director, explained that the card check agreement brought union recognition only if "50 percent plus one" of workers supported the union. In a NLRB election, by contrast, he said, a union could win recognition with less than 50 percent of workers' support as a result of a low turnout in the election.

Hennepin County Board Chair Randy Johnson said he preferred elections, but that he was "comfortable" with the negotiated card check agreement. "It is fair to the employees who want to organize and it is fair to the employees who do not want to organize," he said.

"Let the process go forward and let the people have their say," said County Commissioner Mike Opat.

The board's approval of the card check agreement comes on the eve of another decision affecting HCMC -- whether or not the county board should approve a plan to change the governance of the hospital and create a new appointed board to manage the hospital.

"The nurses are concerned about what the governance change will mean for them," said Kate Kline, lead organizer for the MNA. "It's one of the reasons nurses like David Finke came forward and wanted to organize. They're looking out not only for their own issues, but how they can be the strongest advocates for patients."

"To protect our patients and our profession, we will successfully win this organizing campaign at HCMC," Finke said.

Approval for the card check agreement came after months of negotiations and individual meetings with Hennepin County Commissioners. Walt Frederickson, MNA program director, and Bill McCarthy, president of the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council, met with each of the seven commissioners to discuss the advantages of the card check approach. "After gaining support, we continued to bargain language in the agreement," McCarthy said.

McCarthy said the Hennepin County Board's unanimous vote for the card check agreement represented a significant victory for workers, both locally and nationally. "It's huge. Where do you get a 1,000 member card check?"

The board is comprised of three Republicans, three Democrats, and an independent.

"The politicians in this city understand and care about labor and the workers," McCarthy said. "They also understand that card check is not something to fear. It just levels the playing field for workers."

Steve Share edits the Minneapolis Labor Review, the official publication of the Minneapolis Central Labor Union Council. E-mail him at laborreview@mplscluc.com