Your Voice.
Your Vote.
Your MGH.
The decision soon before you is a
monumental one. We believe direct
collaboration is the best way to address
concerns, improve working conditions,
and foster a positive workplace culture.
Working together as a team is the bedrock
of the culture that has been built at MGH
over the past 15 years. We are committed
to being a destination employer in our
community, creating safe and meaningful
work environments for you, while engaging
you and the broader team in shaping our
path forward, union or non-union.
MGH RN Testimonials
Hear what your fellow MGH RNs have to say about unionization.
Hear directly from our CEO, Trevor Sawallish, in this video message to get the full picture and make an informed choice.
Vote!
Important Election Announcement
EVERY VOTE COUNTS! We need YOUR vote to ensure that your collective voice is heard!
Who: All Registered Nurses (RNs) working at North – Maple Grove Hospital
Election Details:
- Dates: Wednesday, January 22, 2025, and Thursday, January 23, 2025
- Time: 6:30 – 8:30 a.m. | 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. | 6 – 8 p.m.
- Location: Four Seasons Conference Room located in the lower level of MGH
Voting must be done in-person — there are no absentee ballots.
Things to note:
- This is one of the most important decisions you will make in your working career.
- The outcome is decided by those who vote in the election. There is no ability to “opt out” of union representation if the vote is in favor of the union.
- This is a secret-ballot election run by the NLRB. No one will know how you vote.
- You are not obligated to vote for the union, even if you have signed a card or supported the union.
- Please make your decision based on facts and credible information about union representation and whether you want the MNA to speak for you.
United States of America
National Labor Relations Board
Notice of Election revised as of January 15, 2025
Keep Informed
You have the right to make an informed choice about unions.
FAQs
Since sharing that we received a petition from the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) indicating they filed for an election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to determine if registered nurses at Maple Grove Hospital wish to be represented by a union, we have received several questions from you.
The decision soon before you is a monumental one. As you consider your right to choose whether or not you want to be represented by a union, we want to make sure we are providing you with accurate and comprehensive information about the election process and the change that would result if a union represented the nurses.
We are fully committed to following all necessary steps that are required of an employer under the law and ensuring information is available to leaders, nurses, and team members. Most importantly, your vote matters and we want all of your voices to be heard.
Top six questions asked by our RNs
Since receiving the notice of petition, we’ve heard from many of you in direct conversations, via email and in-person at our information sessions.
Under the law, MGH is not permitted to make any changes to wages, benefits or other terms or conditions of employment while we are in the process of an election. It could be construed that we are trying to influence your vote. We are not allowed to make promises during this process, unlike the union.
No. A union can always out-promise an employer, but the union can guarantee nothing. There is no guarantee what the final contract will look like.
No, if the union wins the election with Maple Grove Hospital nurses, a separate contract would be negotiated, and the terms of that contract would vary from the Robbinsdale Hospital MNA contract.
Possibly, we don’t know. What we can tell you is that years of service is typically the primary determining factor in labor agreements for shift bidding, schedules, time off and transfers. When considering the Robbinsdale hospital agreement as an example, an RN has to wait 10+ years for a straight day shift. There is no way to know exactly what would be in any negotiated agreement at MGH.
No. Joining a union does not automatically result in better pay and benefits. There is no obligation on the part of MGH to contract to continue all existing benefits. When negotiating your contract, you may get more, you may get less, or existing pay and benefits may stay the same. Bargaining is a two-way process, and the employer is allowed to demand givebacks in bargaining which could mean less benefits. Negotiations are a give and take, so there are no guarantees, and nobody can tell you what may or will be in the contract until the contract is final and agreed upon by all parties.
No. While Maple Grove Hospital would comply with its legal obligation to bargain in good faith with the union if it wins an election, all of your wages, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment would be subject to the give-and-take of negotiations. Three things can happen in negotiations:
- Wages, benefits, and working conditions could remain the same (meaning when Union dues are subtracted, team members could bring home less wages);
- Wages, benefits, and working conditions could improve; or
- Wages, benefits, and working conditions could be reduced as the result of good faith negotiations.
Wages and benefits are all negotiable items, and an employer is not required to make any concessions to the Union that it believes is not in the organization’s best interests. An employer simply is required to bargain in good faith.
NEGOTIATING A CONTRACT
The employer is obligated to maintain the status quo during negotiations with a union. This means that there will be no changes in discretionary terms of employment without agreement by both the union and the hospital. Depending on how long bargaining lasts, certain things may not change for months or years, including discretionary wage increases and changes to benefits (including education benefits), discretionary increases or decreases to vacation and other forms of paid time off, and scheduling patterns.
No, by law the hospital does not have to agree to any union demands.
No. If the union wins the election, they merely win the right to represent you and your colleagues in collective bargaining for a first contract. Nothing changes regarding wages, hours, or working conditions until a contract is agreed to by all parties involved.
There are two options: (1) leave things the way they are; or (2) strike. Under current law, there is no guarantee that the union and the hospital will arrive at an agreement and sign a labor contract. It is possible for a union and an employer to continue operations without a contract for years.
It is impossible to say. The average first contract in healthcare takes well over one year to negotiate. Before a union contract is ever reached, the parties must meet on a number of occasions and negotiate team members’ wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of employment. This is a time-consuming process that involves exchanging many proposals back-and-forth until an agreement is reached on all items that are important to the parties.
This is a very important question for you to decide. We understand the importance of every nurse and team member feeling heard and valued, and we are committed to ensuring that happens at MGH without the need for a union. Unions often negotiate one-size-fits-all contracts that may not meet individual needs. Your voice on wages, benefits, and terms and conditions of employment will move to one group and the MNA decides how the group voice is represented. Under union representation, you will lose your individuality and MNA will become your voice.
We value the trust you place in us and are dedicated to building a workplace where your voice is heard and respected. If you ever feel that we’re not meeting this commitment, we encourage you to speak up, and we’ll work together to find solutions.
DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING CONCERNS
This is one of the most unfortunate things about union activity. Once it begins, the employer is prohibited by law from making any promises or otherwise engaging in any efforts to resolve grievances or come up with new wages or benefits. This seems particularly unfair because the union is free to make whatever promises it wants in an effort to get your vote and Maple Grove Hospital’s hands are tied. The law exists in this fashion because an employer has the ability to carry out a promise that it makes on a unilateral basis. In contrast, a union cannot by itself make any changes happen. A union cannot directly deliver on the promises made to team members throughout the election process. Any change would need to have the employer’s agreement through negotiations between the employer and the union. Anything a union wants it must negotiate with the employer and nothing happens unless the employer is willing to make a change.
The union may have told team members that if a union is voted in, the team members will get better wages, benefits, and working conditions. However, this is only a promise and not a guarantee. Wages and benefits are all negotiable items, and the law doesn’t require either the union or employer to agree to a particular proposal or make any concession.
No. The union may try to claim that all nursing work is “bargaining unit work” and attempt to prevent all non-bargaining-unit team members, including leaders, from performing that work. In addition, during negotiations, unions typically seek contract provisions that would prevent any team members outside of the bargaining unit from performing any of the duties of the registered nurses in the bargaining unit.
No. You are free to talk to anyone about unions and whether or not having a union is in your overall best interest.
MNA AUTHORIZATION CARD PROCESS
We believe in working together as a team to address issues directly without the need for third-party involvement. It is our understanding that some RNs signed authorization cards with information that may not have been clear or complete. MGH’s position is that all team members should have the right to cast a secret ballot on an important decision that may have significant impacts to their work experience at MGH. An election provides each RN the time to inform themselves and the privacy of a secret election run by the NLRB regarding whether they wish to be represented or not by a union. This means that neither the union nor the hospital will know how you voted. We are committed to providing you with clear information and facts about unions and the collective bargaining process so that you can make an informed decision when you vote.
REMOVING THE UNION ONCE VOTED IN
You do not “test drive” a union. Once a union is voted in, it is complicated to vote out and the process cannot be started for at least one year. To be successful, the majority of those voting will have to agree that the union needs to go. While such “decertification” votes do happen, they are rare, they are subject to detailed rules, and the union would fight hard against anyone who was trying to vote them out.
No. By law, the hospital will not be able to help you with the decertification process or legal expenses associated with decertification. Team members would be responsible for navigating the decertification process on their own and paying for all legal costs relating to the decertification process.
UNION DUES
Almost certainly, yes. During negotiations, MNA would demand that a “union security clause” be applied to all team members represented by the union, requiring that you pay monthly union dues or a “service fee” or else be discharged from employment. This typically is a union’s top priority in negotiations, and you will never know what the union gave up in negotiations in order to get a union security clause.
The union security clause that MNA would demand in negotiations would legally require Maple Grove Hospital to terminate your employment if you fail to keep making monthly payments. In addition, the union can take delinquent team members to court in order to collect dues that have not been paid.
In 2023, according to publicly filed information with the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) the MNA charged members a maximum of $76.20 in monthly dues, which equates to $914.40 annually. However, we know from the Robbinsdale contract, North Memorial Health as received notification to increase the dues deduction to $84.60 per month.
No. In 2023 according to publicly filed information with the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”) the MNA was allowed to charge members a maximum of $76.20 in monthly dues, which equates to $914.40 annually. Per union filings, MNA accounted for $2.3+ million sent to the National Nurses Union (NNU) and $1.1+ million spent on political issues. You don’t control where your dues are spent.
The union will decide if and when to raise your dues. Dues were just raised at Robbinsdale Hospital to $84.60 a month—an 11% increase. What you pay today may not be what you pay moving forward.
VOTING
The NLRB vote will be held at Maple Grove Hospital on January 22 and 23, between the times of 6:30-8:30 a.m, 11a.m.-1 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. Voting will take place in the Four Seasons Conference Room located in the lower level of MGH.
When you vote on either January 22 or January 23 between the times of 6:30-8:30 a.m, 11a.m.-1 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., you are choosing whether to be represented by Minnesota Nurses Association or remain union-free.
The ballot will contain a single question: “Do you wish to be represented for purposes of collective bargaining by MINNESOTA NURSES ASSOCIATION? MARK AN “X” IN THE SQUARE OF YOUR CHOICE.” You will then choose yes or no.
This is a secret-ballot election so no one will know how you voted. You do not sign, initial or write your name on your ballot; you will vote behind a partition so that no one can see how you mark your ballot; and you yourself will drop your ballot into the secure ballot box. The entire process is overseen by an agent from the National Labor Relations Board.
The union must receive a majority of the ballots that are cast in order to become the collective bargaining agent. For example, if we have 570 eligible voters but only 285 people vote, the union would only need 143 votes (one-fourth of the bargaining unit) in its favor to win the election and represent all 570 team members. By not voting, this reduces the number of votes the union needs to gain a majority. Thus, abstaining from voting is not considered a “no” vote.
Yes. If a majority of team members who cast a vote in the election vote for the union, then all team members in the bargaining unit would be represented by the union for collective bargaining purposes, regardless of their individual vote. There is no option to “opt out” of the union.
Yes. You absolutely have the legal right to oppose the union. You also have the right to let other team members know your opinion and can voice your opinion in appropriate ways. For example, in conversations during break or lunch time, before or after work.
No, you are not required to vote. However, the outcome of the election is determined by those who cast a vote and it could have a tremendous impact on your job and working environment. It is your choice, but if you care, you should come out and vote.
GENERAL UNION INFORMATION
A union is an organization that represents employees (team members) and negotiates with employers on their behalf as their sole representative regarding wages, benefits, and working conditions. When in place, unions also introduce additional processes, fees (such as dues), and complexities that can affect the workplace environment. You will pay dues for the services of the union. The union decides how it spends the money you pay to the union and it may be spent on activities wholly unrelated to the needs of the RNs at Maple Grove Hospital.
At our organization, we strive to maintain a collaborative approach where team members feel comfortable sharing their ideas, concerns, and feedback directly with leadership so we can work together to resolve concerns. We believe in working together as a team to address issues directly without the need for third-party involvement.
Most unions, such as MNA, are run by local or national officials who are responsible for recruiting new union employees (team members) and managing the affairs of the employee (team member) group(s) they represent. Employees of the union are paid salaries, and the union operates under a budget, where one of the main sources of income is union members’ monthly dues. How they spend their resources is determined by union leadership. Union leaders are elected by the union members.
We respect every team member’s right to consider unionization, but we believe that a direct and collaborative relationship between team members and management is the best way to address concerns, improve working conditions, ensure market-competitive compensation, and foster a positive workplace culture. MGH believes it is critical that we are a destination employer in our community and that means we need to pay competitive wages, create safe and meaningful work environments, and engage the people that do the work for all jobs, union or non-union.
Because unionization comes with legal requirements that would change many aspects of the relationship between MGH and its team members, including how we work with and meet the needs of our team members. We currently have a direct relationship between leaders and team members that we have cultivated together that is worth preserving. In a unionized environment, an employee (team member) can present issues, concerns and grievances to their supervisors, but the union contract often states how such issues must be addressed. Management may not have as much flexibility if an employee’s (team member’s) concern or issues are related to a term of the union contract because MGH leadership would have to adhere to what the contract says. This includes but is not limited to schedule changes.
Labor Agreement
If you vote YES, MNA will negotiate a STAND-ALONE agreement for MGH nurses.
Flexibility
Everyone has different scheduling needs for workdays as well as days off. You are all unique in what your life looks like outside of North – Maple Grove Hospital.
Bargaining
A union can’t guarantee anything in the negotiations process, including whether it will advocate for an issue that is personally important to you.
Union Dues
Union v. MGH Communication
The union is permitted to tell you what you “want” to hear. MGH is required to follow federal law. MGH provides you fact-based information.
MGH Nurses: You’re invited to daily in-depth sessions
As discussions surrounding union representation continue, we have developed a series of group and individual meeting opportunities designed to keep you informed and engaged through this process and ensure your questions are being answered.
Daily in-depth sessions
On-site smaller group sessions with leaders to discuss key information.
Wednesday, January 8 – Monday, January 13
- 7:30-8:30 a.m.
- 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Topic: Your Rights Under the Law: How Unions Operate and What That Means for You
Location: Heron Conference Room
Tuesday, January 14 – Friday, January 17
- 7:30-8:30 a.m.
- 7:30-8:30 p.m.
Topic: Collective Bargaining Process
Location: Heron Conference Room
Open Office Hours beginning January 6
Drop-in opportunity to ask specific questions 1:1
Open Monday – Friday | 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Location: HR office at MGH (across from Admin)
MGH RN Testimonials
Hear what your fellow MGH RNs have to say about unionization.
Many of you don’t know a lot about my past employment history before coming to Maple Grove Hospital in 2016. I spent 27 years working for the Anoka Hennepin School District, first as a lifeguard and swim instructor, and finally as their Aquatic Supervisor managing all of the swimming pools (5 pools in total). In that role I hired and trained staff, scheduled all programming including swimming lessons, open swim and special events, created our website, built the registration program for swimming lessons, managed all customer service issues, handled all pool rentals for both recreational use and club swim teams. Although my job was not a union position, I had a first hand view through all of those years the turmoil that those (union) employees went through. When a contract had not yet been renewed (teachers and all other work groups), those staff worked on their old contract, sometimes for years, while they waited for a new contract. While they waited, their pay rate stayed the same, but they continued to pay their union dues. Because I was not a union employee, I was able to collaborate directly with management when the market rate for my position changed. I was able to collaborate directly with management when the market rate for my employees changed. Through a collaborative process, we were able to work together to ensure the pay was equitable and make changes that made sense with the budget, at the moment. Without a union. During that time I also earned a pension through PERA. I will earn (as of this writing) $400 a MONTH in retirement. If I would have been able to invest that money, instead, into a 401K or other similar account, my retirement monthly income outlook would be considerably higher.
I spent a lot of hospital time while pregnant with my first baby. During that time, I decided that I would love to return to college to fulfill my lifelong dream of being a nurse. It took me a long time to do this while my babies were little, but in 2016 I graduated from nursing school. One of our projects was to research area hospitals and their mission, vision and values. I researched Maple Grove Hospital and their “feel” immediately spoke to me. I had GOOSEBUMPS after my in-depth assessment. Then I came to the campus to look around and I was sold. Everybody said hi to me, everybody was smiling and the entire hospital felt like a team! This small hospital is where I wanted to be. Because my background was in a different industry, I applied for a job working a 0.75 overnight position as an aide in postpartum while still in school. Becky Farmer hired me and I was in love! At the time, I worked my full time job during the day, attended nursing school full time, and worked overnights in the nursery in postpartum. I would have done the job for free (and I often could be heard saying this and marveling how lucky I was)! This place, Maple Grove Hospital, is magical!
Once I graduated in 2016, I was lucky enough to be hired as the ONE person in the nurse residency program that year. I used to joke, “Annette, party of one!” when people would ask me about it. I was lucky enough to have time in med-surg during the program before I moved to my home in postpartum. Huge shout out to Julie and Karin for showing me the ropes of med-surg. My time there was so important! The lovely nurses on postpartum are my original family. I would never have the skills and knowledge that I have now without them. Eventually, though, my true dream to be in labor and delivery kept pulling at my heart. After close to a year in postpartum, I moved to labor and delivery, hired by Bess Murray. I am still thankful that she took a chance on me! What a ride! The teamwork this department has is remarkable. I am so blessed to work with these amazing women. You all have a heart for this work, and I love each of you.
I learned first-hand how very special our tiny community hospital is when I moved to a casual-part-time position in 2023. During that time I needed a flexible schedule leading into my daughters last summer traveling the country with her AAU basketball team. It all happened very fast, my manager worked with me at the last minute and granted my unique request. I fear these special circumstances we all need at times will not be handled in the same way with third party representation. At the exact same time, I became aware of a travel nursing opportunity at a local (union) hospital. Because the job was close and flexible, I threw my name in the hat! I ended up accepting a first contract and then renewed for nearly 1 ½ years. During that time I was able to see the best of people (while working my shifts at Maple Grove Hospital) and the worst of people (while working at a union hospital during contract renewal/strike talks). The hatred some of the nurses had for non-union nurses, non-union hospitals, and travelers was palpable. I received hateful text messages surrounding strike time (my contract was on a break during the strike, so I never had to make a decision on whether or not to go to work). The staffing was no better than we have at Maple Grove Hospital. All of their nurses floated (to ALL departments) even though they were part of MNA. They gave up three days of pay (for their initial strike). For me, that would calculate nearly $2,000 of lost wages. That means (at my MGH step #6), that a 4% pay scale adjustment would need to be agreed upon to BREAK EVEN. This is a huge decision and affects all nurses no matter where they are at in their career (new or near retirement- all of us matter).
I recently had a long list of questions that I called directly and asked the MNA office. Although a lot of the answers were, “we can just write that in”… “we can request that”…. There simply are no guarantees with union representation. I have also been able to connect with a union organizer and with an MNA staff member who is part of the negotiating teams. The conversation was very nice and I was thankful for their time to answer a long list of questions that I had. *If you would like a link to the questions and answers, please contact me and I will share it with you! Yes, we can look to other hospitals, including Robbinsdale, as a guide of requests we can make, but those are only hopes and dreams, especially with a first contract. It has also been said that we just don’t have to vote for the contract if we don’t like it. How about we, instead, bet on ourselves right now and negotiate and work with leadership directly? I was recently told by a co-worker that our (Maple Grove) step scale is going away. I have reached out directly to HR, Trevor Sawalish, and Wendy Ulferts and this statement being spread around is completely false. Our payscale remains and matches Robbinsdale and is not and will not go away. Although our very small performance bonuses have been eliminated, we instead had retention bonuses added. Our holiday pay changed for Christmas and New Years. Our 401K match rate is higher than Robbinsdale and the chances of getting any part of an MNA pension with a union contract is a dream and a prayer, and seems very unlikely. Would you walk up to me and ask me for $1,000+ tomorrow at work? If not, please consider giving the administration another chance to listen to us without voting to make every nurse pay $1,000+ to a stranger that can’t make any promises to us. So many of you have spent a LOT of time meeting with the union, attending meetings and listening to the possibilities. You are all amazing to have a heart for change! Would you be willing to spend the same time meeting, instead, directly with our leaders to instill real change and bring forth our real concerns? I believe we can all do amazing things together… I see it everyday in our magical building! Please vote! Please VOTE NO and allow one more chance at change.
Fellow Friends,
Many of you know me and know it is a rare day when I speak up in the midst of conflict, but I have been losing sleep over the discord that exists among us, the conflict that has been invited into our midst, and the very important decision we are all making next week. I have been employed by MGH since 2012. I love this place. I love you, the people I get to work with at Maple Grove Hospital. We get to do the very important work of serving our community with the best health care we can provide. Prior to my time at MGH, I worked for a private cardiology clinic in the metro and before that, at a union hospital.
Through the years, I have experienced MGH as a place where I can knock on a door and be invited in for a conversation or to resolve an issue. If you have not found this to be true, I encourage you to go up the chain of command, seek out your manager, your director, your CNO. They all have their doors open, and many have been here a long time and they have poured their lives into making this the unique hospital that it is. I am not sure how many of you have gone to the information sessions they have been holding, but your leadership is listening. They are asking for feedback. They are acknowledging that we nurses have legitimate concerns that need to be further addressed. They have humbly recognized there is work to be done. I hope we can all recognize that as a gift. A gift I pray we can be grateful for and a gift that we do not choose to squander. Before you give your voice to an outside third party, I urge you with all that I am, to stop and consider what it might look like to say NO to the MNA and instead say YES to those who have been traveling this road with us, who have deep roots here, who care about you and are seeking to partner with you. Extend grace and a hand of collaboration today and give them time to show us what they can do to remedy the concerns that have been raised. We are on the same team. Working together in collaboration is the answer.
I have talked some of you who “want a pension and want everything else to stay the same” or communicate that the primary attraction to MNA representation is the possibility of a pension. I agree, I too would love a pension. MNA supporters will tell you it “just needs to be written in the contract.” An MNA rep said “you won’t get it unless you strike”. While this can be a point of negotiation, we know that recently negotiated contracts have NOT included pensions. Furthermore, only half of nurses represented by the MNA have a pension. This is obviously not a guaranteed benefit.
The point of a pension is to support our retirement. The two campuses have done this in different ways in their history. North Robbinsdale has had a pension for years, back when pensions were the way employers supported retirement for their employees. However, they only have a 2% match for their 401K, where we have a 4% match and we do not have to pay union dues; MGH is supporting our retirement. To surrender our voice, our independent collaboration, or ability to flex when we need to for the far-fetched hope of a small pension someday is too big a sacrifice!
Furthermore, on the topic of limited resources, there is a hidden choice in this vote. The hospital can either use its available funds as previously intended, to expand the campus and create new opportunities for serving our community. Or it will be required to spend those resources on navigating contracts, endless negotiating, and preparing itself for strikes that may or may not happen down the road.
This should be an obvious choice. The ER is often overwhelmed with patients waiting in the lobby as we take our new parents out to their cars on discharge from PP. Labor and Delivery regularly goes on capacity because there are simply not enough beds to serve those who would like to deliver their babies here. We are taking care of gyn surgical patients on the PP floor because the med-surg beds are full. If we allow leadership to continue to pursue those dreams and goals of expanding our hospital, more people will be served, more jobs will be created, and our paychecks increase. If we shackle the ability of leadership to accomplish those goals, then I fear we are dooming MGH to stagnancy for many years to come.
Bidding for our jobs is another hot topic of conversation, so much so that our friends at Robbinsdale thought it important to write a letter to our CEO. Despite the claims made in this letter, everyone should be aware how unions work. Constraints regarding the number of times people float, or get mandated/low-needed, etc are defined by a contract. When those constraints/structure put a unionized hospital in a financially precarious spot, the only option they have is to lay people off. When there is a layoff, the hospital redefines the positions they need. The jobs get posted, and you rebid on your job if is available, based on seniority. If your position is no longer available to you on your unit, you are required to take that FTE position on another unit before you can accept a layoff and the benefits afforded to those who simply do not have a job at all. That is how unions work. All you need to do is look at other hospitals where the MNA has had their way: every time positions change, those lowest in seniority find themselves in trouble in the rebidding. Be careful; you may be voting yourself out of a job in future days!
As we vote, the only real decision we are making is the choice to be represented by ourselves or by a third party. It does not mean we will get a pension, or better pay or less floating, or different staffing, whatever our stated desires may be. The hospital comes with priorities, the nurses come with their priorities, the MNA comes with their own set of priorities (please note: you do not even need to be a nurse to be an MNA rep and a portion of your dues are spent lobbying for causes you may or may not believe in); bigger government and involvement of individuals that are a distance away from the work we do everyday seems like an unwise choice.
I am happy to chat with anyone about this. The more I learn of the secretive and lengthy process this has been behind closed doors, the more I am convinced that this is not the culture we want to propagate in this place; courting the MNA has invited discord and division. It feels like a big red flag that has been posted for us in this process. I have learned that in all of life, things left in the dark — unexpressed, unaddressed — get bigger and uglier. When called into the light and into an awareness of everyone, we can come together and work on the concerns at hand.
There is a concerning air of ingratitude in the grumbling and it grieves my heart. I encourage you to take a step back, consider the things you love about your job. Let’s be thankful for our jobs and the flexibility we have to trade shifts when our work at the hospital interferes with our family life; I love how we cover for one another so we can be present for those who need us at home. I am thankful for the rolling request form allowing us opportunities to communicate needed changes in our schedules or FTE. Let’s be thankful that the community in the metro area and beyond trust us to care for them. Let’s be thankful that we have leaders that want to meet with us, listen to us, educate us, to put out publications and schedule meetings with the purpose of helping us understand the choice we are making.
I urge you to vote NO to MNA and yes to extending grace and a hand of collaboration as we forge the way forward. There are better days ahead…we have gotten through COVID with no procedure revenue and agency nurse needs and the cost that comes with that, we have seen turnover of CEOs, we have been bought out by North and supported the organization as a whole when anticipated funding did not come through and we felt abandoned in the process, but I think we are on the cusp of great things, like the expansion that was planned in 2019. I hope we can hold on through these growing pains and pains of change by working together with our leadership instead of against one another.
Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts as we anticipate a very important vote!
Joy Wade, RN
I came to work at Maple Grove Hospital 12 years ago because it was non-union. It had a similar culture to Mayo clinic, where I worked prior, and was also non-union and had a big focus on culture and community. The culture is unlike anywhere else – challenged at times, but remains different, from other area hospitals, in the best way.
- I do not want to be required to pay over or even near $1000 of my hard-earned money EACH YEAR to a union. No one can opt out – if the majority votes union – all are in and all are paying. And each year union dues go up – our ‘benefits’ may not, but dues go up.
- Why do we need a Union now? Are we at the point of desperation where we are incapable of problem solving and advocating for ourselves that we need this 3rd party representation? RNs are saying we need a ‘voice,’ but I firmly believe you already have a voice. I would pose the question, have you used your voice? I don’t think we are at a point where we need 3rd party representation… but maybe we will be someday. Could we give it a year and work with leadership? Use OUR voices and be heard and give an opportunity for change within MGH? Let’s petition and unionize when it’s needed and a last-resort option; we’re not there today and may never be.
- Once unionized, it is almost impossible to return to ‘how it used to be’. Essentially if we do this – there is no going back – we will be bound by a legal contract. One that you may not like after negotiations are completed.
- I do not want a union negotiating for me—I want to advocate for myself. And I would hope if you have any idea for change you would join a committee or talk to leadership, not just stew in anger and agitation. Again utilize YOUR voice.
- Contract years at Union hospitals are very stressful. I have heard about countless relationships ruined during contract negotiations—the contract year passes, but the ruined relationship is usually forever. Already the hospital is changing and people and areas are polarized. Meetings are secretive. None of this feels like the MGH I know and appreciate.
- We will lose resources – there will be strict definitions of who can help at the bedside. No assist by managers, educators, lactation RNs flexing positions and helping at the bedside with patient care… A union changes resources. For instance in the ECC when the lobby is 30+ deep we cannot utilize ‘extra’ and ‘creative areas’ for seeing patients (i.e. Hallway rooms, etc.). What if you or your loved one needs help at that time? The ECC hands’ staff will be tied. Unions have strict control over beds and ratios.
- The last union meeting that many listened in on didn’t have an ounce of truth spoken. So many promises – but no one can predict the future – contract negotiating hasn’t started, and it won’t start until AFTER the vote. It was meant to further the narrative that the union was helping when it was actually hurting. Empty promises that haven’t been negotiated. And please remember our system is still coming out of $40 million of debt – pensions and big bonuses are unlikely in that budgetary climate. I hear that a pension upon retirement is a big lure for staff… However leadership has indirectly said – in so many ways – that a pension just isn’t in the math.
- MNA is run by lobbyists – politicians of a sort (truly many are not nurses) – they promise you will be paid better and will get “x, y and z”, and that you’ll always be protected and represented… (PS, our step scale is the same as Robbinsdale’s – this has been confirmed by recent hires to MGH, coming from Robbinsdale campus)
I worked on PP for 9 years before moving onto the ECC. I know many on units 2000, 2200, and 4200, and was even at many of your BIRTHdays… and many of you know me, however, I do see many new faces around the units.
You supported me in my change to the ECC when everything in my life had changed and I missed taking care of ‘old guys,’ and just needed to use all of my skills and care for a variety of patients… when I felt an urge to help others through their hardest days.
Many of you know my dad through my stories. He was the best. You supported me through his 2 cancer diagnoses, treatments, and transplant. You traded shifts with me, brought my family dinner, and helped watch my kids so I could be with him at Mayo Clinic. You hugged me despite Covid protocols when he was diagnosed with MDS and went into hospice and died.
What you may not know is that a union screwed my dad over big time. He worked in management, but switched positions and was grandfathered into a union. He wanted to be in the union. He worked hard for nearly 38 yrs. He had to go on long-term disability for cancer treatments and physical rehab. The union wanted him back to work. Dad explored retirement, he was 62 and just finished nearly 7 months of treatment. The union said he didn’t fulfill the requirements of his contract in order to collect his pension. The union’s lawyers contacted my dad, said the year of long-term disability didn’t count toward his years of service and vesting, and some other big legal language and loopholes in the contract language… My dad had all of the correct paperwork and reluctantly got a lawyer (he was a guy that firmly believed that his handshake and good word meant something). They all met in mediation. My dad’s boss and co-workers supported him. They stood behind him and petitioned the union. We quoted the contract and said he should be able to retire and collect his pension. The union lawyers interpreted the contract differently. Mediation was stressful. My dad relapsed with cancer during that time. My dad said no more lawyers, no more additional stress. He had to fight for his life again. My dad never collected his earned pension. He said it hurt: he worked hard, paid dues, was in great standing at work, his co-workers and boss supported him, but in the end he was a number. The union didn’t know him – they knew the loopholes of the contract though – Dad said his life was more important than the money.
Empty promises from the union.
There are several union options in the Twin Cities—if you value union representation, with all respect, why remain at a non-union hospital when there are ample unionized options? Think of how many employees have left and returned over the years or how many travelers have come through and they all have the same response: “Our environment is different. Our culture is different”. One of the primary reasons for that is because we are NOT a union hospital. We are a family. “We are owners, not renters” (Mr. Andy Cochrane).
It is OK that you may have a different opinion than me. Maybe some improvements need to be made, but is a union the answer? Can those changes happen without inviting a third party into the conversation? Can other conversations be had? Have you followed the chain of command and talked to upper leadership? Have you, individually, helped improve the culture on the unit? Or reached out to HR or Wendy Ulferts for policy improvements?
Let’s keep our discourse civil and strive to understand where everyone is at in the thought process so that all can make a good choice. We need all the information that we can get before we make this decision. This decision is going to alter all units for a very, very long time. It will alter our hospital forever.
Our blocks/patterns are at risk. Many union hospitals also change their work week schedule from Wed-Tue for balanced schedules and to decrease overtime pick-ups in order to pay for other items and resources. Nothing is off the table. I value my schedule, my time off, and my ability to easily trade shifts.
The ECC techs that come up and put in hard IVs and are ultrasound trained are at risk of being considered nursing assistants in the contract and losing the ability to perform their full scope of practice (this happened at Robbinsdale and many quality Techs came to MGH to continue to use their full skill-set and scope).
I have heard a concern about floating, but you must know that many union hospitals float more because you may only be able to be canceled so many shifts a year… so when you max out your canceled shifts and the census is varied, then YOU float and the other unit cancels their nurses… and YOU provide the care for the patients on that unit (M/S, holding patients in ECC, etc)… Or people get laid off. The math of everyone being paid and working without being mandated… Well, it just doesn’t math… It doesn’t add up.
I just hope we can talk. Talk to each other. Talk to leadership. Talk to upper leadership. Make change where changes are needed. WE can do this. WE CAN. (at least let’s give it a year – give leadership a chance without their hand’s tied due to legalities. We can entertain repetitioning MNA in a year if you don’t see change at MGH)
Anna Sandquist (with input from Ginger and other former and current MNA members)
To All My Fellow Maple Grove Hospital Nurses:
As we approach a monumental decision on January 22 and 23, 2025, that will make a significant impact to our nursing community at Maple Grove Hospital, I wanted you to hear my voice – not MNA’s voice, not our leadership’s voice, but MY voice, a fellow nurse.
I have worked as a nurse with MGH in the ECC since 2021. But my time with MGH did not start there. My first experience with MGH was as a nervous, first time expectant mother in 2015 – at this time I wasn’t even a nurse. After researching and touring multiple metro hospitals, my husband and I just felt “something special” and comfortable with MGH and chose to deliver here. After having our daughter at MGH, I recognized that “something special” was the staff that we had throughout our whole stay – their compassionate care, their knowledge, and their dedication to patient care was so evident. I did not hesitate to return to MGH to deliver when I was expecting my second child in 2016, and again was blowen away by the care I received for a second time.
In 2018, after working in the financial industry for many years, I was itching for a professional change. I would be lying if I said the passion and joy I felt and experienced from the nurses at MGH I had when I had my children didn’t influence my career change decision. I remember thinking I want a job like that; that I love! As part of my career exploration at that time, I started to volunteer at MGH in the FBC. It was a wonderful experience, and it just affirmed how much I enjoyed being around the nurses and staff at MGH. After lots of career exploration, I made the decision to go back to school and pursue my BSN.
Here I am now, a nurse at MGH, and I can finally say I have a job I love! While nursing will always fundamentally be what brings me such fulfillment in my professional life, I can unequivocally say it is working at MGH specifically that makes me LOVE my work. Our culture is unmatched, our dedication to our community is admirable, and our ingenuity is unique. There are many factors that contribute to this environment, but I know a large factor is the fact that we are not a unionized hospital. There is more freedom, more individuality, and more autonomy that we have by not being unionized and I don’t want to lose these aspects of my job and work culture. There are several fabulous, hard-working nurses that have specifically sought out employment at MGH because it is not in a union – in fact, we are one of the only metro hospitals that is not part of MNA. We need to continue to keep MGH nonunionized to continue to attract and retain these talented nurses, which adds immeasurable value to our organization.
Most of all, it is the entire team environment that makes us who we are at MGH. And when I say team, I’m not just talking about us nurses. I cannot do my job without all of my ancillary team members – our respiratory therapists, imaging techs, ED techs, nursing assistants, social workers, chaplains, laboratory staff, security, dietary aides, environmental services, and many more – ALL of US! I fear that unionizing will lead to unintended consequences for these team members, such as the ability to use their skills unhindered by union mandated red tape to provide our patients support, or their right to be compensated in a fair manner for the difficult work they also do day in and day out. The desire to unionize directly segments the nursing staff from these other team members who are equally important to providing patient care and establishing our culture. Joining MNA creates a pathway for overt inequality and threatens our culture. I cannot in good conscience allow this to happen at MGH.
Please help me protect my voice and vote NO against MNA membership. Those in support of MNA, I hear your concerns, and I want to help you find solutions, and I will support you however I can to make that happen. But let us work together and with each other to make MGH better. We do not need MNA to do that work.
Respectfully,
Katelin Roering
Registered Nurse
Maple Grove Hospital – Emergency Care Center
An Open Letter to the Hospital
I came to work at Maple Grove Hospital 12 years ago because it was non-union. I have stayed for a few reasons- two come to mind: close relationships with my co-workers and because MGH has remained non-union. Most people have very strong feelings about unions; my personal experiences have been uniformly unfavorable:
- I do not want to be required to pay over or even near $1000 of my hard-earned money EACH YEAR to a union. Fees will become a requirement for the privilege of having a job.
- Once the union comes, it is almost impossible to get rid of it.
- I do not want a union negotiating for me—I want to advocate for myself.
- I firmly believe in meritocracy and that pay and promotions be based on merit and not seniority.
- Contract years at Union hospitals are very stressful. I have seen countless relationships ruined during contract negotiations—the contract year passes, but the ruined relationship is usually forever. It is easy to see the division the union vote has already caused.
- I have never worked in a union environment that has not become toxic.
- I have been attacked at work by an employee and the union protected that person. They should have been fired on the spot!
- The last union meeting I sat through I don’t think an ounce of truth was spoken. It was straight propaganda, meant to further the narrative that the union was helping when it was actually hurting—gaslighting at its finest.
I was in a meeting once and I was told about how I would be paid better and I would get x, y and z. That I would always be protected and represented.
And then I was physically assaulted. I was not protected, and I was not represented, but the employee that assaulted me was. I was also told about all the amazing raises I would get. The first year of the contract negotiation was 0%, the second year was 1% and the third year was 1%. The ‘raises’ did not even cover the yearly union increases.
There are several union options in the Twin Cities—if you value union representation, WHY haven’t you gone to work at one of those hospitals? Think of how many employees have left and returned over the years or how many travelers have come through and they all have the same response: “Our environment is different. Our culture is different”. One of the primary reasons for that is because we are NOT a union hospital.
It is OK that you may have a different opinion than me. Let’s keep our discourse civil and strive to understand where everyone is at in the thought processes so that we can make a good choice. I have had nurses come to me privately afraid to speak out. I was recently told that Union supporters was telling questioning staff to “SHUT UP- that they would negatively impact others.” Since I have chosen to speak out, there has been an active campaign to hide all Union informational sessions from me. There have been reports of secret messages being sent on Epic Secure chats. We need all the information that we can get before we make this decision. This decision is going to alter our Hospital permanently. The toxic environment of the union will be the death knell to our culture. I have lived the difference. I cannot stress how altering this decision is for our hospital. If what the Union has to offer is so INCREDIBLE- WHY HIDE? Why the secrecy? WHY the condemnation for those that are opposed? Shouldn’t the Union’s message be shouted from the rooftops? It has often been said if it must be done in secret, it should not be done.
Some have shared with me, concerns about pensions and insurance plans, which are very real and valid concerns. In an informational meeting, it was made very clear that we would NOT be grandfathered in to what is going on at North Robbinsdale. We will not be getting the same thing. A new union team at Maple Grove Hospital would have to go through the very beginning processes of building new contracts. There are no guarantees in negotiations. However, the Union representatives are repeating the phrase of ‘We will write it in’ as if their promises are guarantees. Promises are being made to gain a vote that there is no guarantee they can follow through on, but once that vote is cast, there is no turning back. A reminder, the last group that was promised a pension- DID NOT GET ONE, and that was after 4 years of negotiations.
I’ve heard people express concerns about needing the protection of the union. What in your personal experience is so wrong at Maple Grove Hospital that we need to be protected? There’s the old saying three is a crowd. There will always be a third person and that is the union. You don’t get to make your choice the union makes your choice for you. There is no opting out. If I do something so egregious that it warrants being fired, I deserve to be fired.
If you are convinced that your safety is at risk and requires the protection of the union – go work at a union hospital . Why did you leave the union hospital and come to Maple Grove ? The Twin Cities are full of union hospitals. And when that is played out, you have the refuge of Maple Grove Hospital waiting.
A nurses in an informational session shared that she worked at union Hospital for eight years. Even at the end of that eight year period she shared that she was still very low on the union seniority list. As a result, she was always denied her vacation. She expressed how grateful she was to work at Maple Grove Hospital and how she finally got to use vacation time and was not be denied because of low seniority. I found this to be another great example of the many things we have to be grateful for and while it is not a perfect process, it’s far better than constantly being denied because you can never gain seniority.
Recently, in the emergency department, we lost a fabulous nurse to cancer. She was denied her union benefits at another hospital because she had not reached the age limit. Cancer has no age limit, but her union benefits did.
I value each of you enough to have hard conversations with you. It is OK to disagree. I’ve had the privilege of working with many of you for many years and each of you have personal experiences and insights, that if you’re willing to share, can help all of us make the right decision.
One of our strengths in emergency medicine is our ability to adapt and to be flexible and understand differing viewpoints. Let’s open this conversation up so that we can build understanding and strengthen our relationships and come up with a solution that will truly have a positive impact for all of us.
It is a rare moment in time when upper administration is willing to stand in front of you and admit their shortcomings. It is a rare moment when they apologize and commit to making positive changes. Why not give them that opportunity? They aren’t trying to hide their failures ,but the Union has been hiding information and distributing it to a select few. They have been actively shutting people out. They have already been actively attacking anyone who does not support them. Our upper administration was very straightforward in explaining the very real financial concerns this hospital system is facing. Those financial burdens are now being further negatively impacted by having to pay for lawyers to navigate this surprise union vote. We could be using that money to improve our situation, but that money is now gone.
I believe in Andy’s vision of delivering healthcare as it ought to be. Maple Grove Hospital has been a shining example of excellence. We have developed this reputation because of our hard work and commitment to that initial dream. And we did it all WITHOUT a UNION.
“Nurses are the heartbeat of medicine. “ – ZDoggMD
Respectfully!
Ginger
I have been at Maple Grove Hospital for 12.5 years. During my time here, I have seen a rollercoaster of events, but each time we got stronger until the past few years. When I heard about the union coming in, I told myself to have an open mind even though my own past experience wasn’t so great. Being told that I would need to take out a loan or dig in my own retirement to pay my rent and student loans if we strike wasn’t the greatest response to hear as a new nurse. I attended a few meetings from management this past week; however, I received no communication from MNA. So to get my answers straight and be fully informed, I reached out to them. I appreciate the time they gave me and let them know that there are many like me who have received nothing from them and was told they would look into it. Well, I still have not received anything which speaks volumes to me. So I guess from in the short time of researching both sides, I’m asking everyone to take a step back and think for a minute, do I really want to say Yes to the union and No to our culture we had and what made Maple Grove Hospital so unique? Maybe after the past few weeks of meetings with administration, we give administration a chance to say Yes to us and see if they truly listened and see if they want that culture back, too. Let’s see if they want to get back to healthcare as it ought to be.
I have been an RN for 20 years, 15 of which I have spent at Maple Grove Hospital. My first years at MGH I worked as an RN in the ECC, then a PCF and finally have transitioned into the role of Trauma Coordinator within the ECC. The previous two hospitals I was employed at were union hospitals, I came here for something different. Maple Grove Hospital is by far the best place I have worked for more reasons than I can count.
I see NO reason to have the infestation of a union creep into Maple Grove Hospital. I have many concerns about the negative impact a union would have, but my main concern would be the loss of my ability to provide patient care in my current role. I am the Trauma Coordinator and if a critical patient presents, currently I can assist in care, charting and real time feedback. If a union comes in, I will lose my ability to work elbow-to-elbow with the nurses I have cared for patients with for 15 years. This will be devastating to me and directly affect trauma care at Maple Grove Hospital.
Unions do not guarantee a pension, they do not guarantee nurse-to-patient ratios, they do not guarantee you are awarded your requested PTO. If you think that working at a union hospital is necessary to provide healthcare as it ought to be, then go work at one of the many in the metro, your options are plentiful. Many of us came to Maple Grove Hospital to be separate from a union, we do not believe in their need or purpose.
Maple Grove Hospital is filled with wonderful employees who take great pride in our work, we have managers who are supportive and a union would put many degrees of separation between that. We would move backwards if we partner with MNA.
I was a part of a union when I worked at St. Joseph’s Hospital in St. Paul. My experience there was not great from the union promising things they couldn’t guarantee to pumping union nurses up to strike to then saying the exact opposite and to ratify a contract that just a couple of weeks prior of say we need to strike to get what we want.
What I see in the administration here at Maple Grove is transparency since this union discussion has started. What I have seen from the union is no transparency, false promises of pension , double time for holidays and birthdays, sick time and PTO to be separated. These are all well and fine but once again the union can’t guarantee these benefits unless the is negotiations and a contract that stated this. Not to leave out the culture that we have and how we do thing at Maple Grove will definitely change.
Am I always happy with how things have evolved since we have become One North. No, but I don’t feel it warrants a union to come in. We have many tools to speak with leadership and processes to fix what needs to be fixed. If a union is authorized to come in, I feel the voice of the employee will not be heard only the union’s voice. And then there is always the argument of pay well we will end up with less in our pay check because now we will be paying union dues if we want a union or not. This is just another fleecing of hard-working people sending part of their paycheck to an organization that only gives false promises and can’t guarantee anything.
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