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| Minnesota Nurses Association: District Court Upholds Ruling for Nurses' Safety |
| By PRNewswire |
| Published: 10/01/2001 |
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District Court Judge John Connelly has upheld an arbitration ruling that found the State of Minnesota violated contract health and safety language when they unilaterally discontinued safety escorts for female nurses working at the Minnesota Correctional Facility - Faribault (MCF-Faribault). Registered Nurses at the facility are represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association. An arbitration about the case had resulted in a September 2000 mandate to the state to provide security escorts to nurses making deliveries to an outlying building or allow nurses to walk in pairs to the facility. The State had appealed the decision. Judge Connelly's holding states 'there exists no basis . . . to support Employer's position that it is authorized to deprive the nurses of the right to work in a safe environment.' Judge Connelly further noted that the MCF-Faribault breached the collective bargaining and took protection away from the nurses. Nurses initiated the complaint regarding concerns for their personal safety in May 1999. Their fears arose out of circumstances that caused them to walk alone without protection or training among prison offenders. When nurses were originally ordered to go to Hickory House, a minimum-security building, they were permitted to go in pairs. Prison administrators eliminated this option in Summer, 1999 but allowed requests for correctional officer escorts Monday - Friday. The following May, prison officials refused to replace escort services on Friday after the officer began taking Fridays off and then abolished the provision altogether in July, 1999. |
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