Union Communications

As we are sure you all know, there is a lot going on. We are grateful for the opportunity to support and advocate for all of you. We are all humans first, and the two of us are no exception. All of us are doing the best we can as we navigate our work lives, our home lives, and our union lives.

Communication between union members, including the LEB, should lead with mutual respect, professionalism, and constructive dialogue. We will not respond to messages that are threatening, overly aggressive, or derogatory.

We have families and responsibilities outside of our union roles. Please allow 48 hours for a response when you reach out. If it takes a day or two to get a response, know that your concerns are not being overlooked. Sometimes we need to talk about the best course of action before we provide an answer, and other times we need time to attend to our personal lives. As a general rule, we try to avoid doing union business on weekends unless there is a true emergency.

Finally: we want to make sure you are all aware that Article 11 of our contract prohibits the discussion of union business in patient care areas. This applies to everyone, including the LEB. While Inspira has often been flexible about this, we want to make sure we are not overstepping the limits of our contract and putting anyone at risk of disciplinary action. We may redirect you to contact us later or by another method if you approach us while we are working. Our intent is not to ignore you or push you off, but to make sure none of us run into any problems.

We appreciate how hard all of you work to advocate and care for our patients and communities, and we strive to advocate just as hard on behalf of all 5621 RNs.

In solidarity,

Tanya Allen, President, Local 5621
Jen Thurston, Vice President, Local 5621