Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic's internal talking points on unions were leaked on social media as some employees move to unionize, the Rochester Post-Bulletin reported.
Screenshots of the leaked documents were posted on a Reddit account associated with a group trying to unionize Mayo Clinic nurses, according to the May 17 story. A human resources director had emailed the information about such topics as "union avoidance" and how to discuss unions if they're brought up by staff, saying it was "confidential" and not be shared with "front life staff."
"It just felt really demeaning to be called front-line staff [and] that we shouldn't have to be privy to documents like that," union organizer Tiffany Lawler, a labor and delivery nurse at Mayo Clinic, told the newspaper. Her group, Med City Nursing Alliance, is trying to organize the roughly 6,000 registered nurses, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and licensed practical nurses at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
In a statement to the Post-Bulletin, Mayo Clinic said: "The content sent inadvertently to the wrong recipient reinforces what we say often and in public — we believe that a direct relationship between management and Mayo staff benefits employees, improves communication and helps us provide the best possible care to our patients."
"We respect our employees and their right to make informed decisions, which is why we share factual information about what union representation may mean for everyone," the statement read.