FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Below you will find a series of frequently asked questions we have received from members. If you have a question that hasn’t been addressed here, please email dschildmeier@mnarn.org and we will get you an answer.

• Is it legal for us to strike?

Yes. Going on strike is a legally protected activity. For more information on strikes, see “About Strikes” on this web page.

• How and when would we actually strike (with signs and all)?

According to the official notice given to the hospital, the strike would officially begin at 6 am on the morning of Oct. 26th. At that time, all nurses currently on duty would give report to their supervisors and walk out of the hospital together. All other members of the bargaining unit would be assembled outside the hospital with picket signs to greet them and officially begin the strike.

• What is the time commitment for us—picketing weekly?

The picketing committee has met and determined that each nurse would be expected to picket 12 hours per week. Picketing will be scheduled in 4 hour shifts. Picketing commitments can be fulfilled by family members, friends and other surrogates, and exceptions would be made for personal circumstances.

For those who can’t picket because of physical disability or other reason, there are a number of other jobs you can fill to support the strike.

To learn more about specific picketing commitments and to be placed on the picket schedule, please contact Leona MacDonald at LeonaMacDonald@aol.com

• During the strike, who will be available to answer our questions and provide information to help us?

We have already set up a strike headquarters at the new MNA Region 2 Offices at 365 Shrewsbury St. (in walking distance from the hospital). During the strike, this office will be staffed around the clock with your committee people and MNA staff to answer any and all questions about the strike.

• Should we set up a telephone tree on each unit so we can keep in touch and offer support to each other and pass around information.

Absolutely. We encourage members of each unit to stay connected and to communicate with each other throughout the strike. We advise you to share your phone numbers and email addresses and to make sure that you share you email address with the MNA strike headquarters so everyone can stay informed about developments during the strike. We also encourage units, when possible, to arrange to picket together, which is another way to stay connected and to offer mutual support.

The local bargaining unit leadership will also keep you informed through email blasts, publishing information on this web site, and through weekly open meetings for the entire membership base. These meetings are an important source for obtaining the latest information, to ask questions, and for all of us to come together to support each other throughout the strike.

• Health insurance – How long are we covered when a strike notice is given to the hospital? Does our insurance stop immediately? How do we sign up for COBRA?

You maintain your health insurance as is until the strike begins and you stop working. At some point, UMass administration will send you a letter notifying you that your coverage will cease as of a specific date. The letter will inform you that you are eligible to continue your coverage under the COBRA law.

COBRA stands for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA) requires employers with group health plans to offer employees the opportunity to continue temporarily their group health care coverage under their employer's plan if their coverage otherwise would cease due to termination, layoff, or other change in employment status (referred to as "qualifying events"). A strike is a qualifying event.

You would keep your current insurance plan, however you would be required to pay for the coverage yourself.

The way COBRA works, you have up to 60 days from the date of your notification to elect COBRA coverage, and another 45 days before you would be required to pay.

For more information on COBRA benefits, visit www.cobrainsurance.com or www.dol.gov/ebsa.

Or call 866-444-3272

• When we strike, do I qualify for unemployment insurance? And unemployment health insurance?

We strongly encourage every member to apply for unemployment insurance on the first day of the strike. While we cannot guarantee eligibility, striking workers in Massachusetts have gotten unemployment benefits based on the fact that the employer is functioning at 80% capacity. We expect the Hospital to state that is the case with them since they will fear the financial loss of patient admissions and procedures. In fact, the nurses at Brockton Hospital and St. Vincent Hospital did qualify for unemployment during their strikes.

• How do I find out about continuation of disability coverage?

For answers to questions related to continuation of your short term disability insurance, please call Phil George at Colonial Insurance at 508-754-8608. Mr. George is also happy to answer questions about COBRA issues.

Members will not be able to continue their long term disability coverage while out on strike. But coverage will resume as soon as the strike ends and we return to work.

• Will the MNA help us find per diem or temporary employment?

The MNA is working with three different temporary nurse employment agencies that are ready and willing to help you find per diem work during the strike.  Many of our members have already signed up.  Below you can find the contact information for each agency. 

Progressive Nursing Staffers  

Kim Thirkield, Nurse Recruiter     508-620-4700

kathirkield@progressivenursing.com

Diversified Staffing Group  

Linda  Christiani, Nurse Recruiter   508 755-1133

lchristiani@dsgworld.com

Favorite Nurses

Nurses can apply on line

www.favoritenurses.com 

The MNA will also organize job fairs for nurses, either at open meetings held during the strike, or at the strike headquarters. Check this web page for notices of these events.

• Will MNA help me with writing a resume?

Absolutely. We will have staff available at open meetings will schedule specific days and times at the strike office to provide support with resume writing.

• Will the MNA offer support to members who experience financial hardship during the strike?

The MNA has a strike fund and your local bargaining unit has already begun a fundraising campaign to generate significant resources to provide support for those members who may need special assistance during the strike. A special committee will be formed to evaluate individual requests and distribute loans to individual members. For members to be eligible for these contributions, members would be expected to fulfill their picketing commitment for the strike.

The MNA is also working with local community groups and other labor organizations to provide a food and clothing bank to members to help them through the strike.

• What happens if I have been approved for a vacation that is scheduled for after the strike begins?

If you have already put in for vacation time and it was approved, then you the hospital is obligated to pay you for that time, even if you are on strike.

• Can I be fined by the MNA for not participating in the strike?

No.