MASSACHUSETTS NURSE NEWSLETTER :: February 2008

President's Column

Beth Piknick

By Beth Piknick
MNA President

Having been a union activist for decades, and now as president of the MNA, I have attended hundreds of union meetings. I am always taken aback when a member asks me, "What is the MNA doing for me?" My first reaction is "you have it all wrong, YOU are the MNA; the right question is what are you doing as a member of the MNA for yourself and your colleagues?"

My answer arises from the fact that MNA is a member-driven democratic organization where local bargaining units have complete control over every decision of their union and its priorities. While the Board of Directors works hard to provide the resources and support our local bargaining unit needs-including providing our bargaining units with the best staff-tobargaining unit ratio of any nurses union in the country-the power of the MNA lies with the membership. You can best exercise that power by being informed, involved and active in your union.

While not everyone can invest the time to be a member of the negotiating team, or even to serve as a floor or unit rep, every member can take a number of simple steps to make their union a more powerful and effective vehicle-a vehicle that will drive and advance their interests and the interests of their colleagues. Those steps include:

• Read your contract and keep it handy. The contract delineates your rights and benefits at work and represents the focus of your union's activity. You need to read it, refer to it and understand it so you can use it to your benefit, as well as to understand what it doesn't address so you can advocate for changes to improve it.
• Submit ideas for contract proposals. When contracts come up for renegotiation, members have the opportunity to submit proposals to be considered for inclusion in the negotiation. This is your opportunity to propose changes or new ideas to improve your workplace. If you don't know how to draft a proposal, take note of the item below that addresses how to communicate with your local leaders.
• Go to your union leadership if you have a question. If you are unclear about what your contract says, or what your union is doing to address an issue, go to one of your elected leaders and ask. The names of your leaders are usually posted on bulletin boards, listed in newsletters and other communications. Do not hesitate to speak with them; they are there to represent your interests.
• Attend meetings. If you can't make a meeting, send a surrogate from your floor that you trust – someone who can express your views and help you stay informed.
• Read newsletters, e-mails, etc. The MNA and all the bargaining units have stepped up efforts through the production of local newsletters, contract updates (and for some web pages and email blasts) to keep members informed of ongoing issues. Review this material so you know what is going on. If something is happening that you don't understand or agree with, let a member of your committee know about it.
• Be politically informed and involved. Because nursing is highly regulated and sensitive to changes in public policy, you need to stay tuned to state and national issues affecting health care. Also, you need to develop and maintain a relationship with your state legislators through e-mails and phone calls. This is easily accomplished by visiting the MNA web site and reading this newsletter.
• Participate in and vote in the election of your unit leaders. Every bargaining unit has bylaws that dictate a process for holding elections of its leadership and negotiating team. If you have the time, run for election. If you don't have time, find out who is running and learn about them. If you know of a member who shares your views and is a strong leader, encourage them to run for election. And, of course, make sure you vote in all union elections.
• Participate in the activities of the bargaining unit. As your union does its work on your behalf, it will engage in a number of activities, including leafleting, member surveys, petition drives, picketing and, if necessary, strike votes and even strikes. The success of any and all of these activities depends on broad participation by the membership. If your union is engaged in an activity, participate.