The Fight is On!

Today was voting day for all the nurses in the Allina hospitals. We had a great turn out and stood together in solidarity. Tonight, the results were tallied. I was anxious to hear the outcome of the votes for all the hospitals. When the results were posted, I was relieved to see that all 4 hospitals came together and voted for the strike! We are all united and are ALL standing together to show this money hungry corporation that we will NOT settle for less than what we deserve. Some people have brought up the question "Why should nurses have great health care over the rest of us?". The answer is- we don't. In all honesty, EVERYONE should be as lucky as we are to have the option to have great insurance. But if you want to get down to the nitty gritty, here's the truth: we risk our own health to help you while you are ill. If you follow the news, you know that two nurses recently contracted TB. We are exposed to TB, Ebola, Hepatitis, HIV, and many many more contagious diseases. Not only are we at risk for diseases, we are also at a higher risk for work place violence. Again, I'm sure if you follow the news, you may recall a story in which a man severely injured several nurses when he took apart an IV stand and began to ruthlessly beat the nurses that were in his path. How does that compare to someone who sits at a desk all day? Sure there are other dangers, like carpel tunnel, but not immediate. In an ideal world, the person sitting behind that desk and nurses would have the same good insurance. In essence, what we are fighting for isn't just for us, we are fighting so that perhaps one day, you can sleep easier knowing your family is protected with health insurance that fully covers your needs. Nurses spend our days caring for everyone else. Today is the day we ask for you to care for us!