Nurses at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato, Minn., have signed a decertification petition seeking a vote on the removal of the Minnesota Nurses Association as their bargaining representative.
More than 200 nurses signed the petition, which was filed by Brittany Burgess, RN, on June 15 with the National Labor Relations Board, according to a June 27 news release from the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation.
The foundation, which is assisting the workers with their effort, said that total is high enough to prompt an NLRB-conducted secret ballot vote to remove the MNA. However, the NLRB would still have to weigh in and confirm that is the case before a vote could occur. Union officials could also attempt to delay or block a vote or disclaim interest in continuing to represent the workers before a vote could occur.
"Ms. Burgess and her co-workers, who provide lifesaving medical care to the people of Minnesota, should not have to be subjects of Minnesota Nurses Association union bosses whose so-called 'representation' they oppose," National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation President Mark Mix said in the release.
In a statement shared with Becker's, Tammie Fromm, operating room RN at Mayo Clinic Mankato and MNA negotiating team member, said the union has "successfully bargained for better contracts, organized for adequate PPE in the early days of the pandemic, and petitioned for adequate staffing levels to keep nurses at the bedside."
"We will continue to organize together to retain nurses and protect patient care in our communities," she said.
Mayo Clinic Health System also shared a statement with Becker's, saying the petition "is a staff-led effort. We are grateful for the confidence the petitioners have in Mayo Clinic Health System."
The MNA is affiliated with the National Nurses United and represents about 500 nurses at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. Mayo Clinic Health System, part of Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, has facilities in southern Minnesota, western Wisconsin and northern Iowa.