Massachusetts Nurses Association, August 23, 2011 Canton - Just days after Elizabeth Warren announced the establishment of an exploratory committee for her potential US Senate run in Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), the state’s largest union and professional association for registered nurses, unanimously endorsed her pending candidacy at its most recent Board of Directors meeting. The leadership at the MNA’s national affiliate, the National Nurses United (NNU), has also unanimously voted to support Warren. The MNA is the first labor union to endorse Warren, and its 23,000 nurse members combined with 147,000 additional NNU members ... MNA

Paula Ryan, RN, Patriot Ledger, August 22, 2011 As one of the nurses who attended and spoke at the recent public hearing concerning the sale of Quincy Medical Center, the public needs to know that all nurses present at the meeting, and all those who testified, were in agreement and in support of Steward Health Care acquiring Quincy Medical Center for the benefit of the community and employees. However, some nurses who currently work at Steward-owned facilities did use the opportunity to raise valid concerns they have about Steward’s failure to adhere to and honor contractual agreements it had made with the Massachusetts Nurses Association ... Nurses

Health center nurses fill needed niche.
Paul Restuccia, Boston Herald, August 22, 2011

Often serving under the radar, community health center nurses are a big part of the growing success of neighborhood clinics.

Because they don’t do acute care in emergency rooms, operating rooms and intensive-care units, the work of the Hub’s community health nurses is seen by some in the profession as an “easier” daytime job “giving out flu shots” as some applicants have told hiring managers. But the reality is that nurses in neighborhood clinics have their own set of challenges.

Mary Crotty, RN, Massachusetts Nurses Association, August 18, 2011

On Saturday, August 6, 2011, I was contacted concerning the sighting by several nurses and other Boston Medical Center staff of a large number of police cars (an estimated 8 cars) accompanying a very large unusual, covered truck entering the biolab facility site early in the morning (staff coming on the day shift saw a cavalcade of vehicles, lights flashing, etc).

The truck had a canvas covering with a small triangle on it and was there throughout the day. When the day shift staff left they noticed the vehicle still parked by the Security Booth at the lab site.

But some nurses critical of Steward’s handling of employer pension plan.
Emily Taft, Quincy Sun, August 18, 2011

Residents, government officials, nurses, and doctors gathered August 9 in Quincy High School to discuss their thoughts on the proposed transfer of Quincy Medical Center to Steward Health Care System, LLC.

Everyone who spoke at the public hearing agreed that this transfer of ownership was in the best interest of the hospital, its staff, and the city of Quincy. All those who spoke recommended that the Attorney General approve the transfer of ownership, but some asked her to proceed with caution.

Among those speaking in favor of the ownership transition was Mayor Thomas Koch.

Call Upon AG to Ensure Steward Honor Our Contract & Previous Agreements Made With MNA Nurses.
Massachusetts Nurses Association, August 10, 2011

Jessica Bartlett, Boston Globe, August 10, 2011 A public hearing Tuesday on the sale of Quincy Medical Center to Steward Health Care turned into an unexpected labor dispute between members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association and the prospective buyer. The meeting, held at Quincy High School, was a requirement by the state Attorney General Martha Coakley and is customary for any non-profit entity - especially a hospital - that wishes to sell to a for-profit company. The entire $35 million acquisition needs to be reviewed by the AG's office prior to the purchase. ... Nurses

Jack Encarnacao, Patriot Ledger, August 10, 2011 Quincy - A public hearing on the proposed sale of Quincy Medical Center became a battleground in a labor fight between the prospective owner and nurses from other hospitals it has bought. Dozens of members of the Massachusetts Nurses Association walked out of Tuesday night’s hearing at Quincy High School as a lawyer for Steward Health Care accused the union of distorting facts about the dispute over a pension plan. ... Massachusetts

Molly Buccini, Patch, August 10, 2011 The Massachusetts Nurses Association joined picketers throughout the state today, August 10, including the Danvers Verizon location, in support of the strike that began at midnight on Saturday. Lainey Titus, of the Massachusetts Nurses Association, said the Verizon contract negotiations are something nurses face as well. "This is something nurses face with hospitals making large profits and them wanting to cut pensions after working hard for years," she said. "[Verizon workers'] fight is our fight, and that's why we're here today to support them." ... Massachusetts

Call on Steward to Honor Their Agreements. Petitions call for management to honor their contractual commitment to provide RNs with Taft-Hartley Pension Plan; Nurses will also Testify at Public Hearing for Sale of Quincy Medical Center. Massachusetts Nurses Association, August 9, 2011 Canton - A delegation of MNA nurses working at local Caritas/Steward hospitals will hand-deliver hundreds of signed petitions to Ralph de la Torre, CEO of Steward Health Care. The petitions call for Steward management to sign the documents that will establish the MNA Taft-Hartley multi-employer defined benefit pension plan as proposed and agreed to ... Unionized

Join a Speak Out in Your Community. Massachusetts Nurses Association, July 2011 RNs across the US are calling on Wall Street to pay for the damage they caused on Main Street. Our communities need healthcare, jobs, education, housing. Our proposal: a “Wall Street sales tax” on major trading of stocks, bonds, derivatives, futures, the speculative activity that caused the economic crash in 2008 and harmed so many families. ... Save

Five MNA/NNU Members Were Arrested for Civil Disobedience in Call for Support of Mistreated Workers. Massachusetts Nurses Association, July 22, 2011 Below is a sampling of news coverage from a powerful demonstration held yesterday outside the Hyatt Regency Cambridge in support of the “Hyatt 100.”

Part of a nationwide protest against the giant hotel corporation, more than 250 union members, community supporters and dozens of nurses from the MNA NNU marched in front of the hotel in a powerful demonstration that  highlighted the two-year struggle of the 100 housekeepers whose firings from the three Boston area Hyatt hotels sparked ... News

Includes Successor Language, Layoff Protections. Massachusetts Nurses Association, July 19, 2011 Beverly & Gloucester - Just days before the hospital system announced its pending affiliation with Burlington-based Lahey Clinic, the RNs at Northeast Health Corporation - who are unionized with the Massachusetts Nurses Association - reached a tentative agreement with management. The two-year agreement, which was finalized on July13, put an end to more than eight months worth of negotiations and several hot-button issues that had led the nurses to picket this past June. ... Unionized

New Study Adds to Evidence on Success of California’s RN-Patient Staffing Law to Improve Nursing, Patient Care. Study Bolsters Case for Pending Legislation to Set Safe Patient Limits in Massachusetts Acute Care Hospitals. Massachusetts Nurses Association, July 14, 2011 Canton - Another major study has reinforced a growing body of evidence that California’s landmark law requiring minimum, specific nurse-to-patient staffing limits enhances registered nurse staffing and the quality of patient care. The study is the latest piece of scientific research to bolster the case for increasing RN staffing in hospitals and for limiting the number of patients assigned to a nurse at one time. ... Health

James Parks, AFL-CIO, July 12, 2011 After a two-year effort to win union representation to improve patient care, 357 registered nurses at Steward Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Massachusetts, voted last night by a more than two-to-one margin to join the Massachusetts Nurses Association/National Nurses United (MNA/NNU). Steward Health Care, the new for-profit owner of the system, signed an agreement in October 2010 to remain neutral in the months leading up to the union election and assured a process to maintain accurate communication with employees. The MNA already represents nurses at five other Steward facilities. ... Steward