The vote comes amid Mayo’s plans to consolidate services between both hospitals.
MNA said in a news release it ended negotiations with Mayo hospitals in Albert Lea and Austin earlier this week, and the two sides have reached an agreement that will be voted on by union members. The agreement addresses “patient care training for nurses who move to a new unit, job protection, seniority, retention and severance,” among other issues, according to the union.
“Nurses continue to strongly oppose the changes to our hospitals, but we needed to work out some major care delivery and contractual questions to minimize the impact on patients and nurses,” MNA Albert Lea Chair Kathy Lehman said.
Mayo said in an emailed statement to Becker’s Hospital Review it is pleased the union will hold a vote.
“As we have shared with the union and our staff, our goal has always been to make these transitions as smooth as possible. We know that we will continue to have a strong need for nursing staff on both campuses to care for our patients. Our focus is on preserving the health care services that our patients use most often in their local communities, while making the best use of our resources to deliver hospital services in a way that keeps care viable and as close to home as possible,” the statement reads.
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