National Nurses United

S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 W W W . N A T I O N A L N U R S E S U N I T E D . O R G N A T I O N A L N U R S E 9 MINNESOTA A recent ruling on a Minnesota case by the National Labor Rela- tions Board is a major victory for unions everywhere. An administrative law judge in Septem- ber ruled in favor of the Minnesota Nurses Association and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) for joint unfair labor practice charges the two unions filed against North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale, Minn. The judge, ruling on behalf of the National Labor Relations Board, found the hospital unlawfully infringed on protected concerted activity by union members and their union representative by intimidating and harassing employees following a June 24, 2014 informational picket they held outside the hospital. The event was intended to raise aware- ness about nurses' concerns about the need for safe patient standards in hospitals across the state. The hospital attempted to ban union activity in the cafeteria or other public places and restrict it to only designated, out- of-the-way areas. The day before the picket, North Memorial's human resource director threatened two organizers from the unions who were on site, talking to members, and then ordered security guards to escort them out of the building. They were told that they weren't supposed to be there, especially the day before the picketing, and warned they could face trespass charges. The next day, an off-duty MNA nurse entered the facility wearing the same MNA shirt as the picketers. In the atrium, on the way to a locker room, he was told he wasn't allowed to wear the MNA shirt in the facility that day and was forced to take the shirt off immediately. MNA President Linda Hamilton, RN attempted to talk with members in the hospital cafeteria, and she was also told she couldn't wear her union shirt or speak with members there. The judge found that MNA and SEIU staff are entitled to have conversations in public areas and may not be intimidated or surveilled to prevent them from speaking to members. The NLRB found that union organizers cannot be banned from the property if they are not being "disruptive," nor can union members or representatives be prevented from wearing union shirts. The board also found that an SEIU employee who was fired in retaliation for the event must be reinstated with back pay. "We are pleased that the board has vindi- cated our rights to represent our union and recognized the injustice of the employer's attempt to harass and intimidate legitimate union activity," said Joe McMahon, MNA labor relations specialist. North Memorial must post on its bulletin boards that it has been found to have commit- ted these unfair labor practices and that the hospital will halt them immediately. —Barb Brady Minnesota ruling upholds union activity

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