Unions laud victory for worker rights at North Memorial

Nurses and other health care workers picketed outside North Memorial last year in support of patient safety. The hospital has been found to have retaliated against them for speaking out. Photo courtesy of MNA

http://www.workdayminnesota.org/articles/unions-laud-victory-worker-rights-north-memorial?can_id=a9cf23302332fb8fa0573509116ae7fe&source=email-labor-update-20&email_referrer=labor-update-20

By Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota

September 10, 2015

ROBBINSDALE
Two major health care unions – the Minnesota Nurses Association (link is external) and the Service Employees International Union (link is external) – are praising a ruling in favor of workers exercising their rights at North Memorial Medical Center.

An administrative law judge, ruling on behalf of the National Labor Relations Board, found the Robbinsdale hospital unlawfully infringed on protected concerted activity by union members and union representatives.

The decision arose from an informational picket MNA and SEIU engaged in outside the hospital on June 24, 2014. The event was intended to raise awareness about nurses’ concerns about the need for safe patient standards in hospitals across the state. North Memorial attempted to ban union activity in the cafeteria or other public places and restrict it to only designated, out-of-the-way areas.

One worker, Melvin Anderson, was fired. Other workers were told they could not wear union t-shirts and union representatives were told they could not have conversations with workers.

FULL story at link.