Today, the 20,000 member strong Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) voted to disband from the American Nurses Association (ANA). I am proud to be a part of the elected delegation, representing one of the collective bargaining units, which made this major decision. 261 members were credentialed at the time of voting. The vote ended up being 208 in favor and 49 against. Discussions on the motion lasted well over an hour with both sides passionately emphasizing their points. MNA nurses in favor of the motion cited increased risks to our bargaining units due to ANA’s recent decision attempting to eliminate any functions that defined itself as a labor organization. The ANA’s June House of Delegates failed to completely eliminate all these functions, but voted to evaluate the situation over the next two years through a task force. This move still puts our entire union at risk for future bargaining efforts with our employers because of MNA’s stance as a strong, united labor organization. Also, there were discussions of a dues increase for Constituent Member Associations (CMA’s) of the ANA like ours who are also a part of the United American Nurses (UAN)/AFL-CIO, thus “penalizing” us for labor organization membership.
A nurse against the motion referred to the ANA website which still lists collective bargaining as a workplace issue. While in the delegates meeting, I investigated this claim and also found ANA’s website to still list collective bargaining as an issue. However, when clicking on the actual collective bargaining link on their website, you are automatically forwarded to the United American Nurses (UAN) website. Was this a coincidence? It seems as though any question whether ANA was continuing any collective bargaining activities was answered by this interesting finding.
Though we disbanded from the ANA, MNA nurses are still encouraged to participate in individual memberships if interested. I am proud of ANA’s long history of establishing nursing standards, policies, and Code of Ethics. As a nurse currently in graduate study, I continue to utilize ANA resources to guide my research. Their usefulness in this way is why I plan on paying for individual membership. However, when it came to protecting union nurses in my state, the issue to force constituents to pay dues to a non-labor oriented organization would put all of us at risk. MNA nurses will move forward together from this and I am confident we will be stronger than ever.
Via press release:
Minnesota Nurses Association Withdraws from American Nurses Association
ST. PAUL, MN — The 20,000 members of the Minnesota Nurses Association withdrew MNA’s constituent membership from the American Nurses Association, effective October 13, 2008. In a vote of MNA’s House of Delegates, the highest authoritative body of the organization, MNA affirmed its commitment to the comprehensive representational work that MNA has done for over 50 years, since it first started organizing nurses. MNA will continue its membership in the United American Nurses and the national AFL-CIO and Minnesota AFL-CIO.
ANA has chosen to explore initiatives that no longer include the programs and core functions of a labor organization for nurses, effectively creating an untenable relationship for 97% of MNA’s membership who are represented by union contracts.
“MNA respects the right and autonomy of ANA to guide their organization as they see fit,” said MNA President, Linda Slattengren, RN. “It is increasingly apparent however, that MNA and ANA share different visions of how best to represent the interests of our member nurses.”
MNA invested significant resources over many months in negotiations with ANA and examining a variety of consequences of maintaining or terminating its membership. MNA member leaders met in a Special House of Delegates in May to set in place protective actions to defend MNA’s status as a premiere collective bargaining agent for nurses.
The Minnesota Nurses Association has been the second-largest constituent member of ANA, and becomes the seventh state nurses organization to withdraw from ANA. California, Maine, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Michigan all left ANA previously.
“MNA’s priorities and direction in advancing the interests of registered nurses in Minnesota must be our primary concern.” said Ms. Slattengren. She emphasized the organization’s commitment to its stated priorities to focus on staffing for patient safety in acute care hospitals and to achieve health care reform.
ANA established policies several years ago that allow individual Registered Nurses to join and participate in ANA directly.
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Uniting nurses in vision and voice since 1905. With 20,000 members, MNA is the leading organization for registered nurses in the Midwest and is among the oldest and largest representatives of RNs for collective bargaining in the nation. MNA is a multi-purpose union that fosters high standards for nursing education and practice, and works to advance the profession through legislative activity. MNA is affiliated with the United American Nurses and the Minnesota AFL-CIO.
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Via the MNA website, here is a picture of the 2008 MNA House of Delegates.
