Potential MN Nurses Strike?

HM2VikingRN, RN · May 16, 2010

A pension is a perk...not a right. And for the younger nurses out there the pension issue will come up over and over again with each new contract. Simply because a pension system is a poor business model and a hospital is a business. Plan out your own financial future and vote on a safe contract.

I can show you substantial data that defined benefit pensions are a more cost effective model of delivering retirement security than any defined contribution system. (Did you know that 30% of the earnings are sucked away by investment fees in 401k plans?)

National Institute on Retirement - In it for the Long Haul: The Investment Behavior of Public Pensions

and

National Institute on Retirement - Pensionomics: Measuring the Economic Impact of State Local Pension Plans

The nurses pension plan is nearly a quasi governmental pension plan as MN has a nonprofit health care delivery model. I fully support their efforts to preserve their pensions as it is both cheaper and a better plan. (Here's a radical thought if there are actuarial problems let the beneficiaries be part of the solution. MN State employees voluntarily increased their contributions to help correct actuarial problems. Given the opportunity the nurses will also do that.)

curiosity123 · May 16, 2010

I just received an automated call offering thousands of dollars to provide RN coverage for a strike in Minnesota. The offer includes relocation expenses.

Also offered, a large bonus for successful referral of other RNs. Don't worry, for ethical reasons, I would never accept. Also, I have a full time job as an RN and live just outside of Boston- so their recruitment has a huge geographic range.

Good luck

Chico David, BSN, RN · May 16, 2010

To anyone who has been though a strike before, how do you access the striking fund? We still haven't received info on that yet and are told they are 'working on it' I went to MNA and asked so now I am asking from anyone who has had to use it. My questions on what happens AFTER the strike have been answered but I still need to know how to use a strike fund if I needed to. This is my only job and I am a single mom so this is it for me. Thanks in advance for any info.

Every union is different on things like this, so no one except the officers of yours are going to be able to answer it for you. Some general thoughts though: Most of the nurses' unions don't have large strike funds, but do come up with some funds to help real hardship cases. Historically, most nurses on strike have been able to work registries in the same or a neighboring city. Nurses in a situation where a strike seems possible - which has been pretty obvious in the Twin Cities for several months - would be well advised to take opportunities for extra work and avoid discretionary spending to build up their own reserves.

There is a lot of history in this country of workers making very big sacrifices in the short term for the long-term gains that could be achieved by concerted action and solidarity. A lot of those workers lived a lot closer to the bone than most any RNs in this country today. Even in recent years, there have been long and difficult strikes by people like janitors and hotel maids who had far less resources than RNs. Most of us can find a way to get our families through without letting down our fellow workers.

Miss Mab · May 16, 2010

Weren't the CA nurses able to claim unemployment? I thought I remembered that...

Chico David, BSN, RN · May 16, 2010

Weren't the CA nurses able to claim unemployment? I thought I remembered that...

No case of that in California that I know of. The nurses that recently struck at Temple University Hospital in Philidelphia may end up being able to, but that is because they were a public sector hospital and there is a quirk in Pennsylvania law governing public sector workers that may make it turn out that way. It's not something the nurses were counting on or really expecting, but may turn out to be a bonus. Apparently, in PA, (if I understand it correctly) the side that wants to change the status quo is judged to be "at fault" for the strike - and in this case it was management wanting to take away things the nurses had that caused the strike, so management may be on the hook for the unemployment benefits. It's still being decided in the state administrative process.

HM2VikingRN, RN · May 17, 2010

Mn Law does not allow unemployment for striking workers.

livesinscrubs · May 17, 2010

Every union is different on things like this, so no one except the officers of yours are going to be able to answer it for you. Some general thoughts though: Most of the nurses' unions don't have large strike funds, but do come up with some funds to help real hardship cases. Historically, most nurses on strike have been able to work registries in the same or a neighboring city. Nurses in a situation where a strike seems possible - which has been pretty obvious in the Twin Cities for several months - would be well advised to take opportunities for extra work and avoid discretionary spending to build up their own reserves.
There is a lot of history in this country of workers making very big sacrifices in the short term for the long-term gains that could be achieved by concerted action and solidarity. A lot of those workers lived a lot closer to the bone than most any RNs in this country today. Even in recent years, there have been long and difficult strikes by people like janitors and hotel maids who had far less resources than RNs. Most of us can find a way to get our families through without letting down our fellow workers.

Thanks for addressing this, we are actually having a meeting tomorrow that will address these questions. I think I should be good but just wanted to have a back up plan just in case, been trying to get another prn job for a while now with no luck but I have managed to juggle things around. I think a lot of our planning is coming out tomorrow with the meetings, which is what I wanted to know. A lot of us were nervous and needed to not go in blind and I've talked to a few nurses who have gone through this that has eased my mind a bit. :)

NSJodi · May 19, 2010

Good luck to the MNA nurses!!

Leyla~ · May 19, 2010

I am a MN nurse and my hospital is on the possible strike list. There is a strike vote on May 19 that will determine whether or not there will be a strike beginning on June 1, 2010. The union leaders very much want to strike and the nurses at my hospital want to strike. The main issue is reducing the pension fund by 1/3. There are some other issues that I think are so crazy that the hopitals are just bluffing. I really want to keep my job. I have no seniority as I just started about 8 months ago. Do you think I could lose my job if I strike?? Is it legal?? The leaders at my hospital are so pro strike that I dont have anyone to talk to. Any advice??

Just found out more about the striking stuff today. The safety of your job hinges on what type of strike is called. If it's an economic strike the employer can permanently replace workers, once the strike is over there's no telling how remaining nurses will be allowed to come back. If it works like most past layoff situations lowest senior staff will be bumped on out. If that's the case chances are good it won't matter if you strike or not, if too many of the current positions are permanently replaced you may be bumped out.

The union is angling to call an Unfair Labor Practices strike, claiming that the hospitals colluded in contract negotiations. More in the Star Tribune article here: Twin Cities nurses' union eyes 1-day walkout | StarTribune.com

If they manage a ULP strike then job positions will be safe. I don't foresee MNA being successful in calling an ULP strike though. Your best bet would be to talk with your employer to discuss the best way to safeguard your position. Assuming of course that they can do anything about it since their hands are often tied by MNA contracts.

Chico David, BSN, RN · May 19, 2010

Just found out more about the striking stuff today. The safety of your job hinges on what type of strike is called. If it's an economic strike the employer can permanently replace workers, once the strike is over there's no telling how remaining nurses will be allowed to come back. If it works like most past layoff situations lowest senior staff will be bumped on out. If that's the case chances are good it won't matter if you strike or not, if too many of the current positions are permanently replaced you may be bumped out.
The union is angling to call an Unfair Labor Practices strike, claiming that the hospitals colluded in contract negotiations. More in the Star Tribune article here: Twin Cities nurses' union eyes 1-day walkout | StarTribune.com
If they manage a ULP strike then job positions will be safe. I don't foresee MNA being successful in calling an ULP strike though. Your best bet would be to talk with your employer to discuss the best way to safeguard your position. Assuming of course that they can do anything about it since their hands are often tied by MNA contracts.

Actually, to "talk with your employer" is a pretty poor source of information at this point, since in every labor dispute I've ever been around, the employer is a constant and reliable source of lies and misinformation. My understanding is that a strike can be considered a "ULP" strike as long as the charge is out there, which it is. And even in today's temporarily somewhat depressed nursing market, the idea that nurses need to worry about being permanently replaced is pretty silly anyway. The fact that nurses always fret over things like that is just another indicator of the wimpy, co-dependent mentality that predominates in nursing.

Leyla~ · May 19, 2010

The fact that nurses always fret over things like that is just another indicator of the wimpy, co-dependent mentality that predominates in nursing.

Wow, nothing like bizarre baseless insults huh? Exactly what do you hope to accomplish with such comments?

I don't think it's irrational "fretting" when there have been so many layoffs last year. And the union has proven they care more about seniority than anything. If you're low senior you're pretty much hosed if the company hires other workers permanently during the strike causing less open positions. Hospitals in MN are not hiring right now. When Maple Grove Hospital opened they had over 7,000 applications for 200 nursing jobs. Clearly there are nurses out there looking for jobs.

I had eleven months seniority, lost my position and was "bumped" into other departments last year. They have not been doing any more hiring which means that I'm still pretty near the bottom of the food chain now with almost 2 years in at the hospital. AKA I'm at risk too.

But clearly Chico knows all about the Minnesota environment for us newer nurses, what with him living in California and having over 20 years experience... best listen to his advice :uhoh3:

zimsaint · May 19, 2010

Reports that I have read say the nurses are planning to strike for one day???? I can't see how this is going to benefit the nurses in bargaining for better benefits and work conditions. The only way to make the powers that be buckle is to walk out and not return until reasonable demands are met. Nurses can easily be replaced for one or two days so the strike really will not have a significant impact. Thus the powers that be have no reasons to compromise. If this backfires it will seriously weaken your union.