National Nurses United

MINNESOTA M ore than 7,000 nurses employed at four hospitals represented by the Minnesota Nurses Associa- tion in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area are preparing for tough contract nego- tiations this spring. The nurses are employed by Allina Health, the largest system in the state. MNA members in five other hospital systems negotiated and ratified new contracts in January, after management approached members in December about wage-only negotiations. The new contracts provide across-the-board wage increases and protect members' pensions and health benefits. The new contracts take effect June 1, 2016, and run through May 31, 2019. Allina Health refused to participate in the wage-only negotiations, indicating it intends to engage in full contract negotia- tions. Allina management has said it wants to reduce nurses' health insurance benefits, and demand other concessions in schedul- ing and staffing, claiming its health plans are unique, too expensive, and outdated. MNA members throughout the state are making plans to stand with and support Allina colleagues as they enter difficult negotiations this spring. MNA represents 12,000 nurses in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro area. About 5,000 nurses work for Allina facilities. —Barb Brady Minnesota RNs settle contracts with five of six hospital systems Deals maintain all provisions for RNs and boost wages, but Allina Health chain is a holdout NATIONAL S urprise! Not really. Registered nurses have again won the Gallup Poll's annual survey of which professions the public believes hold the highest standards for honesty and ethics. "With an 85 percent honesty and ethics rating – tying their high point – nurses have no serious competi- tion atop the Gallup ranking this year." That's the conclusion Gallup drew after ranking how Americans view 21 major professions. Nurses have topped the list for the 16th time in 17 years, and 14 years in a row, since Gallup first started surveying public opinion on what profession is most trusted. "Patients, their families, and the public at large understand that it is nurses they count on when they are at their most vulnerable and in need of nurses' core values of caring, compassion, and community," said Jean Ross, RN and co-president of National Nurses United. "That level of trust is more critical than ever as we see the healthcare industry increasingly put profit margins and executive wealth ahead of caring and public safety. At a time when a Martin Shkreli has become the face of an industry characterized by greed, it is always nurses who will be there for patients. That's a bond that is sacred to all of us." While continuing to advocate for patients and families at the bedside, NNU members have increasingly taken on higher-profile roles in their communities and the public arena, leading national efforts to guarantee healthcare for all; challenging price gouging by pharmaceutical, insurance, and hospital corporations; campaigning against the health harm caused by pollution and the climate crisis; and calling for increased public revenues, especially through a tax on Wall Street speculation, to fund human needs. —Staff report RNs again win Gallup Poll's survey of most honest and ethical profession J A N U A R Y | F E B R U A R Y 2 0 1 6 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 5

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