* * * M E D I A A D V I S O R Y * * *
Mass. Nurses Converge on State House: Thursday, March 8th at 9 a.m.
Hold "Nurse Lobby Day" To Call for Legislation To Improve Deplorable
Nurse Staffing Conditions & To Address the Growing Nursing Shortage
Nurses Will Also Participate in an Oversight Hearing on ER Diversions
Held by the Joint Committee on Health Care on March 8th at 10:30 am
Nurses Will Make the Link Between Staffing Shortages and ER Diversions
WHAT: Hundreds of nurses from all across the Commonwealth will converge on
the State House for a "Nurse Lobby Day" event sponsored by the Massachusetts
Nurses Association, which will be held on Thursday, March 8, 2001 from 9 a.m.
to noon in the Great Hall. The nurses of Massachusetts are mobilizing for
passage of landmark legislation to mandate safe nursing staffing levels in
all health care facilities. According to the MNA, inadequate nurse staffing
levels, and unsafe nurse-to-patient ratios in all health care settings are
the principle cause of the nursing shortage, the rise in ER diversions, an
increase in medical errors, mandatory overtime, decreased satisfaction of
nurses with their practice, a dramatic rise in injuries among nurses, and a
dramatic decline in the quality and safety of patient care.
In response to the current crisis, Sen. Robert Creedon and Rep. Christine
Canavan, co-chairs of a special legislative Nursing Commission, have filed HB
1186, An Act Relative to Sufficient Nurse Staffing to Ensure Safe Care, which
would mandate the creation, posting and monitoring of appropriate nurse
staffing ratios in all health care settings that are sufficient to care for
the planned and unplanned needs of patients. In addition to this bill, a
legislative package developed by Sen. Richard Moore to help recruit nurses
into the profession will also be discussed, along with measures to address
the issue of workplace violence for health care workers and a measure to
establish a single payer health care system in the Commonwealth. The event
will feature presentations by nurses and legislators on these bills and will
culminate with visits by the nurses to their respective legislators to lobby
for their support.
On the same morning, the Joint Committee on Health Care has scheduled an
oversight hearing on the issue of ER diversions for 10:30 a.m. in Room A1.
The Committee has invited a panel of MNA nurses to testify at the hearing to
provide a nursing perspective on the problem. Nurses plan to testify to the
fact that inadequate staffing and staffing shortages are the primary
underlying cause for the ER Diversion problem, and that safe staffing
legislation is ultimate solution to the problem.
WHEN: MNA Safe Staffing Lobby Day: Thursday, March 8, 2001 from 9 a.m. to
noon. Joint Committee on Health Care ER Diversion Hearing: March 8, 10:30
a.m.
WHERE: MNA Safe Staffing Lobby Day: State House (Great Hall). Joint
Committee on Health Care ER Diversion Hearing: Room A1
WHO: Nurses from all parts of the state will attend the event, as will
legislators with an interest in health care issues. These nurses have a
concern for the safety of their patients, the deteriorating quality of care
in our health care system, and an interest in seeking legislative solutions
to the problems they face.
CONTACT: David Schildmeier: (800) 882-2056 x717 or (781) 249-0430 (Cell
Phone)
David Schildmeier
Director of Public Communications
Massachusetts Nurses Association
800-882-2056 x717 (Within Mass. only)
781-830-5717
781-821-4445 (fax)
781-249-0430 (cell phone)
508-426-1655 (pager)
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December 23, 2000
District 5, INC., MNA Board of Directors
To the Board:
I am angry and appalled after reading your letter of Dec. 18, 2000. As Board
of Directors for District 5, your responsibility is to (in your own words)
foster the continued development of professional nurses and to support
nurses' efforts to act on behalf of the profession and their patients. If you
truly understood and accepted the responsibility that you have to us, the
members of District 5, you would be applauding the recent changes and actions
taken by the MNA Board of Directors on Dec. 1., and you would be pledging
your support to the new leadership at MNA.
Your letter tells me one thing. Despite the overwhelming numbers of nurses
(almost 800) who voted at convention to disaffiliate from ANA, you continue
to disallow and disrespect our voice. We spoke clearly and despite all
challenges of work, family etc. managed to fall short by only 21 votes of a
decisive 2/3 majority. We have given the leadership a clear mandate. We want
to belong to an independent MNA. We want to belong to an organization that
will promote the agenda of the nurse at the bedside, not just give lip
service whenever the heat is turned up. We want an organization that is
responsive to the needs of the nurse at the bedside, including mandatory
overtime, unsafe conditions, etc. ANA has not provided this. Even after
California disaffiliated; ANA still did nothing to change its antiquated
policies and structure, which does not allow for the advancement of the
profession of nursing. We can no longer afford to wait while ANA limps along
following our lead in the preservation of our profession during this crucial
time.
All actions that were taken on Dec. 1 at MNA were done legally and according
to MNA bylaws. The BOD at MNA has the responsibility to make changes in MNA
staff if the staff does not follow the direction of the membership. Clearly,
the staff members at MNA who were terminated had aligned themselves with ANA
and therefore put themselves in direct conflict with the membership who pays
their salaries. This could not be allowed to continue.
Now that we have a newly seated BOD and a new Executive Director, Julie
Pinkham, we can and do look forward to Massachusetts nurses being the beacon
for all other states to follow in the struggle to preserve the profession of
nursing, to address the goals of nurses who care for patients at the bedside
and to protect the patients that we serve from the ravages of today's
healthcare crisis.
We are angry and appalled. We are angry and appalled at the arrogance that
your letter demonstrates toward the membership. You asked for our input and
yet you had already called for the resignation of the BOD and Exec. Director!
Whose input was that decision made on? Yours? It was certainly not the input
of the membership. You are out of line with the membership. That must change!
We too, are considering our options. One of them is to recommend to our
bargaining unit that every nurse leave District 5 and belong to a District
such as District 3 whose leadership reflects more accurately the philosophy
and goals of the staff nurse. One of them is to remain as members of District
5 and to effect change from within, by electing officers and a board who will
respect the voice of its membership. There are others. We will consider them
all and make the best decision for ourselves and the 350 nurses that we
represent. You will know when we have made that decision.
I look forward to your response to this letter. You asked for input. Now, I
am asking for a response. Until then, I remain,
In Unity,
Marie A. Murray R.N.
Staff Nurse
Tri-Chair Carney Hospital Bargaining Unit
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To all District 5 Board Members,
The Quincy Medical Center MNA collective bargaining committee protests your
attack upon the current MNA BOD and Ms. Pinkham. We support the current MNA
Board's action in calling for a special spring bylaw convention to effect
disaffiliation from the ANA. It is this committee's belief that continued
affiliation with the ANA puts our collective bargaining rights at risk and is
a waste of our dues money. Further we seek to disaffiliate to insure a
stronger, clearer voice for MNA. One that is not moderated by the anti-union
sentiments of constituent members within the ANA.
We oppose the District 5 Board's call for continued affiliation in ANA and
protest their use of union dues money to support that affiliation. We
perceive these actions as an attack upon our membership. The District 5 Board
in its call for "unity" and creating a place where all nurses from all
practice areas may feel comfortable ignores one central fact. We do not feel
comfortable in the ANA nor do we wish to support ANA by funding further dues
increases. In short the "unity" based in a model where we remain in ANA is
unacceptable to the leadership of this bargaining unit. Indeed the membership
is energized and ready to remove all those who seek to put our collective
bargaining rights at risk and oppose those who seek to support the ANA
through increased dues assessments.
We demand that the District 5 Board of Directors rescind its call upon the
MNA BOD to resign and for the termination of Ms. Pinkham. We represent over
230 District 5 members. You are on notice that your continued attacks upon
those who support staff and union nurses will not be tolerated.
Paula Ryan
Chair QMC MNA
Jim Moura
Vice Chair QMC MNA
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Parties to drop two lawsuits in MNA disaffiliation struggle
Third lawsuit regarding mail-in ballots remains active
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