(12,000) Nurses, hospitals agree to return to bargaining table Thursday

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Workday Minnesota

ST. PAUL - The day after Twin Cities nurses voted to authorize an open-ended strike, the Minnesota Nurses Association and six hospital systems agreed to return to the bargaining table.

A federal mediator will assist in negotiations set for Thursday.

“Our nurses look forward to returning to the bargaining table Thursday and are hopeful we can engage in meaningful negotiations with the Twin Cities hospitals,” the Minnesota Nurses Association said. “As we stated prior to this week’s strike vote, we have given our unilateral commitment that we will not give a strike notice as long as productive negotiations are continuing.”

Some 12,000 nurses engaged in a one-day walkout June 10 over the issue of safe staffing at 14 metro-area hospitals. To step up the pressure for a settlement, union members then voted 84 percent on Monday to authorize leadership to call an open-ended strike if necessary.

MNA President Linda Hamilton said the vote “was the strongest possible statement we could send to the hospitals regarding our unwavering commitment to our patients and our profession.”



Read more: http://www.workdayminnesota.org/index.php?news_6_4534

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This story is not copyrighted and may be shared. Just be nice and include the link.

See the Workday special section on the safe staffing campaign at link.

Visit the MNA website

[kernelfarmer]

1. Solidarity Forever!

K and R

[valerief]

2. Bravo! I applaud the nurses for their courage and commitment. nt

[Morning Dew]

3. IMO the hospitals are just buying time

so they can load up on scabs.

The nurses should have gone out for real on the 10th.

Not an expert by any stretch but watching this from the sidelines in Minneapolis, it sure doesn't seem like the hospitals have been very forthright in negotiations.

Go nurses! Go LABOR !!

[Omaha Steve]

4. Kick