COMMON QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

1. In the letter from Management dated June 12, they said a third party will speak for us if we vote for the union. Is this true?

The MNA will be your legal representative and your resource if you vote yes on June 21st. You the nurses will be the UNION. All the decisions that are made will be made by the nurses who work at Memorial, Hahnemann and Home Health.

The "third party" argument is always used in an anti-union campaign, Management wants you to believe that someone other than you, the nurses, will be making the decisions. What management fears is that once you vote yes you will be a part of all the decisions that are made that affect you and the work you do—management will no longer be able to make unilateral decisions—they will have to negotiate with your elected representatives. Management will forever try to convince you that the union is an outside third party that will bring disruption and discord to the "family" at your facility. You know better. You know that you the nurses are the Union, you are the MNA at your facility. With the legal rights you obtain by voting yes you will for the first time have the ability—have the power—to participate in decision-making at your facility as equals with management. For the first time there will be TWO PARTIES involved in making the decisions.

2. How long will it take to negotiate a new contract?

It can take a long time to negotiate a new contract. Partly because we make sure that everyone has the opportunity to give their input into the proposals. The contract survey that you received from the members of the organizing committee was a first step in that process. You need to remember that even though you do not have a contract all your present policies, benefits, etc. stay in place and cannot be changed unilaterally by management. If they want to change any of your conditions of employment once you vote yes they must negotiate with your elected representatives. MNA does not negotiate with management without your representatives.

3. How many representatives will there be on the negotiating team?

Management answered this by saying it was up to the MNA—that is not true. The nurses will decide how many representatives will be on the committee. Most committees try to have representatives from each area. Shortly after the election we will meet with you to vote on your by-laws and then we will have elections. Any nurses who qualifies to vote in the election is eligible to run in the election.

4. Can the MNA make us go on strike? If there is a strike and I cross the picket line will I be fined?

The MNA does not make you go out on strike. The nurses at your facility would vote. A majority vote would be required. The law allows unions to fine members who cross picket lines. The MNA has never fined or disciplined a nurse for crossing a picket line.

All MNA contracts contain a no-strike clause—this means you cannot strike for the live of the contract. You can only take a strike vote after your contract has expired.
MNA represents over 80 different units and negotiates renewals all the time without taking strike votes. The recent strikes at St. Vincent's and currently Brockton Hospital are the first strikes at an MNA Hospital in 15 years.

In health care facilities by law you need to give a 10 day notice to the employer before going out on strike; you just don't walk out the door. The 10 day period is given so that the employer has time to make arrangements for patient care. During this period a federal mediator meets with the parties to try to facilitate an agreement.

5. What are the professional benefits of the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) ?

The MNA is the largest professional nursing organization and the largest union of registered nurses in the Commonwealth. MNA represents over 18,000 registered nurses and stands alone as the only union which focuses solely on the issues of nursing and health care professionals.

Collective bargaining is one of the many ways that MNA helps us enhance our profession. Through collective bargaining, we can define the scope of nursing practice, promote high standards of nursing care, aggressively advocate for our patients, and work with management as equal partners to help ensure quality care for our patients.

MNA offers many special practice groups and affiliations with nursing specialty organizations to maximize members' access to information.

In the Spring of 2001, the MNA began offering its members FREE CE courses on our web site, which include over 100 different courses spanning 19 different categories! Additionally, the MNA offers in-house CE programs through our Department of Nursing. The in-house programs are offered to members at a reduced cost and cover a variety of topics including Telemetry; IV therapy; medical emergencies; IV conscious sedation; Medical errors and ACLS. MNA also offers over 100 free CEU's programs online.

The MNA also offers a confidential job-search database on our web site, where nurses can look-up different jobs from the comfort of their own environment and apply to these job postings immediately, online.

MNA also maintains an effective Department of Legislation. This department uses the legislative process to advocate for nurses and the nursing profession. This year the goal is to pass Staffing Legislation that would require minimum staffing levels in all Hospitals. MNA is currently meeting with four other nursing organizations, including California and Maine, with the goal of hiring a lobbyist to work at the National level. Already, Mandatory Overtime legislation has been filed by Congressman McGovern from Worcester and Lantois from California.

MNA is a leader in the country on nurses Occupational Health and Safety issues and has a full time staff person who focuses on these important issues.

MNA has one of the most effective Public Relations Departments in the country and as such has the ability to communicate the issues of nurses and nursing to the public via the media.

Our web page is a constant source of information to our members and to nurses around the country. Visit the MNA web benefits page to view the other benefits of membership.

6. What is the next step after we win the election?

After you win the election open meetings will be held for all the nurses who are included in the Bargaining Unit (Memorial Hospital, Hahnemann, Home Health). The first step will be to develop and vote on your by-laws. The by-laws govern how the Bargaining Unit will function at your Hospital. The by-laws cover the structure of your Bargaining Unit, including how many representatives you will elect to your negotiating committee; what constitutes a quorum; when to hold your annual meeting; how frequent your elections will be; terms of office; and who is eligible to vote. Once your by-laws are voted on and passed you will then have an election to vote for your representatives. Any nurse in the Bargaining Unit is eligible to run for the positions that you have designated in your by-laws.

Once you have elected your representatives they will meet with the MNA representative assigned to your Bargaining Unit to begin the process of developing the proposals for your contract. You will be receiving a contract survey from one of the organizers. It is important that you complete this form and return it to the organizers. This is a first step in getting your input into what you want to have included in your contract. The MNA will request information from the Hospital which will cover all your current benefits and policies. With this information the Committee will begin to develop the proposals for the contract. Once the proposals are developed they will be brought back to all the nurses in the Bargaining Unit to be approved prior to the start of negotiations.

7. What are the benefits of Collective Bargaining?

Collective bargaining provides a system of justice in the workplace. Your employer no longer possesses ultimate and exclusive power in its dealings with you as a professional employee.

Through the process of bargaining you have the right and opportunity to have input into your wages, benefits and working conditions. You can exercise this right by attending meetings of the collective bargaining unit, submitting proposals for contract negotiations, electing (or running for office) a committee of your fellow nurses to serve as your representative in negotiations, and voting on tentative settlements brought back from the negotiating table by your elected committee.
Collective bargaining provides a legally binding contract. The benefits for which you bargain are contained in a written, legally binding agreement signed by both parties and cannot be unilaterally changed by the employer.

8. What are the dues and when do I need to start paying?

You will not be required to pay dues until you have negotiated your 1st contract and it has been ratified (voted or approved) by the bargaining unit.

The dues for District 2, MNA which is your area are $7.02 per week or $354.50 per year. Many of our members now pay their dues by electronic fund transfer through their checking account.

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