Nurses in Minneapolis-St. Paul reached an agreement with Twin Cities Hospitals, a collection of large nonprofit community hospital systems. They struck on June 10. The strike ended June 11, after parties accepted aid from the Federal Medication and Conciliation Service.
Twin Cities Hospitals' press release gave the general terms of the settlement agreement. They are as follows:
Not mentioned is the attempt to cut nurse pension funding. The hospital proposal reduced the employer benefit contribution by 35%.
- A wage-only agreement with 0%, 1%, 2% increase (over the three years)
- Both sides dropped all other proposals
- All Unfair Labor Practices charges have been withdrawn
- No new staffing language but a commitment to addressing both parties’ staffing issues through the existing committee systems at the various hospitals
Why is this important to the average American? President Obama's Deficit Commission is tackling Social Security retirement benefits. Citizens aren't scarcer than hen's teeth, like registered nurses, who saved their retirement funding.
Will citizens be as lucky? Not likely, given President Obama's language. Slow and steady sets the pace.
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