Minnesota
Minnesota nurses vote in favor of strike
DULUTH — Nurses within the Minnesota Nurses Affiliation, together with these within the Twin Ports, have voted to authorize a strike, the MNA introduced late Monday evening.
The 15,000 MNA members within the Twin Ports and Twin Cities voted “overwhelmingly” in favor of the strike, in keeping with the information launch from MNA. The vote was taken amongst nurses at 15 hospitals below seven hospital techniques. Nurse negotiation leaders at the moment are licensed to name a strike following a 10-day discover to hospital employers.
Chris Rubesch, first vp of MNA and a registered nurse at Essentia Well being, stated he could not launch particular vote tallies, nevertheless it was very clear nurses have been in favor of the strike.
“I can’t use sufficient descriptor phrases to emphasise how overwhelming each turnout and the vote was,” Rubesch stated. “I imply, this was not even shut.”
The strike can be the primary time Twin Cities and Twin Ports nurses took such an motion collectively in contract negotiations. Rubesch stated the 15 hospitals concerned within the vote are in discussions for when a strike may occur and what the strike would entail. He stated if the discover for a strike is given, all taking part MNA our bodies would strike on the identical time. Hospitals affected by the strike can be introduced on the time the 10-day discover is given.
In statements, Essentia Well being and St. Luke’s stated they’re creating contingency plans in anticipation of MNA-member nurses happening strike to make sure there’ll nonetheless be affected person care accessible.
“We’re disillusioned by the vote as a result of we imagine nobody wins in a strike — and we’ve a shared accountability to supply high quality care to the sufferers and communities we’re privileged to serve,” Essentia stated within the assertion. “Please be aware, nevertheless, that this vote doesn’t imply a strike is imminent.”
Nurses have been in contract negotiations throughout the state since March, and have been working with out contracts since July 1. The nurses just lately took a vote of no confidence in a number of Minnesota hospital executives, together with St. Luke’s co-CEOs Eric Lohn and Nick Van Deelen.
MNA members have spoken out a number of occasions about their frustrations with administration, together with unsafe staffing ranges and low retention charges. Nurses picketed in June to assist elevate consciousness for the struggles they hope administration will tackle of their new contracts.
In a current assertion, Lohn and Van Deelen stated St. Luke’s has supplied a ten.25% elevate for nurses over three years in its most up-to-date negotiating session, whereas MNA is asking for a 36.5% enhance over that point.
“We look ahead to our subsequent MNA negotiating session this Thursday, and we stay dedicated to bargaining in good religion to achieve a good and affordable contract,” St. Luke’s stated in an announcement Tuesday. “We’re proud to acknowledge the essential contributions of our nurses and all staff by providing aggressive compensation packages and distinctive advantages, whereas additionally striving to maintain healthcare reasonably priced for our neighborhood. … We are going to once more ask MNA to conform to inviting a mediator to affix us on the desk. Mediators are skilled professionals who can help in efficiently negotiating contracts when the 2 sides are far aside.”
At a information convention Tuesday morning, Rubesch stated staffing is the primary problem statewide that has led nurses to take motion, and he stated St. Luke’s is deflecting from that problem by speaking solely about wages.
Larissa Hubbart, co-chair for St. Luke’s MNA and a registered nurse at St. Luke’s, stated executives in negotiation conferences have not engaged in MNA’s makes an attempt to speak about growing staffing or giving nurses decision-making energy of their new contracts.
Emily Kniskern, who’s a nurse in St. Luke’s pediatric and labor and supply items, stated quick staffing has triggered her to name 5 pregnant ladies this month to inform them they do not have sufficient workers to induce their labor, even when the induction was scheduled for a medical security cause.
“We deserve care that we are able to depend on,” Kniskern stated. “Once we respect nurses, once we rent sufficient nurses, once we make the hospital a spot the place nurses wish to work, we are able to present one of the best care on the earth. However we want nurses on the bedside, and that’s the reason we voted ‘sure.’”
Lake View Hospital to carry picket
Nurses at St. Luke’s Two Harbors Lake View Hospital can be holding an informational picket Friday to attract consideration to low staffing ranges, nurse Jerri Swardstrom introduced throughout the MNA information convention Tuesday. The picket can be held from midday to six p.m. Friday with the intention of getting Lake View administration acknowledge and discover options for the staffing issues nurses have raised to them.
Swardstrom stated acute inpatient stays have elevated 65% from 2018 to 2021. In that point, outpatient companies have elevated 87% and emergency room and pressing care visits elevated 28%. Infusion remedy companies have been additionally added.
“There was minimal RN recruitment to assist bridge the calls for in nursing to assist this type of institutional function,” Swardstrom stated. “By the tip of this yr, we mission an annual deficit of greater than 5,000 hours needing to be crammed, which equates to a 15% enhance in our present workers.”
This story was up to date at 8:05 a.m. Aug. 16 to replicate the newest supply from St. Luke’s to MNA and once more at 11:20 a.m. Aug. 16 so as to add feedback from nurses, St. Luke’s and Essentia. It was initially posted at 11:56 p.m. Aug. 15.
Minnesota
Second Minnesota election judge faces criminal charges, adding to concerning day at the polls
Two election judges from different parts of the state now face criminal charges for their conduct on Election Day, adding to a list of concerning incidents that occurred when voters went to the polls in Minnesota.
Two months later, state officials are still dealing with the fallout as the nation prepares to swear in the next president.
While there are no allegations of widespread voter fraud or misconduct, problems did surface, including missing ballots, unregistered voters and election judge violations.
“The unintended rippling effect may be feeding into false narratives… that perhaps there’s rampant voting fraud in the state of Minnesota when we all know that’s not the case,” said Annastacia Belladonna-Carrera, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota, a nonpartisan group working to ensure safe, secure and fair elections.
Family matters in Ceylon
5 INVESTIGATES uncovered one incident in the small town of Ceylon, Minn., minutes from the Iowa border.
Mary Muller, the city clerk, was charged with a misdemeanor after serving as head election judge in the same precinct where her husband was on the ballot, a violation of state law.
Terry Muller ran for city council and won the seat.
“Part of this whole situation is election integrity matters,” said John Gibeau, the longtime mayor of Ceylon who lost his reelection bid in November.
5 INVESTIGATES traveled to the remote southwest Minnesota town where Ms. Muller continues to serve as clerk.
“I’m not talking to you,” she said as she gathered her things and started to walk out of city hall. “Get out of my office. Get out of my office.”
As Muller got in her car, she said, “It’s all a f–king joke” before leaving.
“At the end of the day, just the implication that somebody might have done something wrong or made a mistake, it gives the impression that maybe things are not on the up and up,” Gibeau said. “If one person thinks that and then doesn’t vote, that’s a big fail as a democracy.”
High-profile cases
There is no allegation that what happened in Ceylon changed the outcome of the election, but the people who work to ensure fairness say the problems should be a wake-up call.
“It chips away at our democracy,” Belladonna-Carrera said, calling the issues this election day “unusual.”
Case in point: Scott County.
A recount in the extremely close race between incumbent DFL Rep. Brad Tabke and Republican challenger Aaron Paul revealed that 20 ballots disappeared and were likely tossed in the trash.
This week, a judge denied the Republican’s request for a special election, but not before the state House started its session in chaos.
It’s also not the only high-profile Election Day controversy. Days before the election, the State Supreme Court found Hennepin County broke the law in how it picked election judges – something it managed to fix before Election Day.
County clerk faces felonies
Almost 200 miles away, Hubbard County prosecutors charged election judge Tim Scouton with two felonies – saying he allowed 11 people to vote who were not registered.
Charging documents suggest confusion inside the precinct that day over where the voter registration forms were located.
5 INVESTIGATES also made the trip to Hubbard County for a recent Badoura Township meeting, where Scouton continues to serve as clerk.
“Goodbye,” he said as 5 INVESTIGATES approached with a camera and microphone. Scouton left and never returned for the meeting.
Fellow board members said they still felt confident with Scouton serving as clerk, but said they only knew what they read in the news.
“We don’t know what happened. We were totally out of it,” said Theora Goodrich, board supervisor.
Election worker training
Belladonna-Carrera says that while these issues may seem minor, they collectively represent a broader problem.
“I think what this signals is perhaps a need to revisit the training aspect of these folks that are out there,” she said.
The Secretary of State’s office said the training of election judges is the responsibility of the individual counties and cities that hire them. However, the office does provide training guides, manuals, and even videos.
“Our office goes above and beyond what is legally required to ensure localities are supported in training their election judges,” said Cassondra Knudson, spokesperson for the SOS office.
Knudson said it’s extremely rare, but “occasionally errors or intentional violations of election laws do occur,” adding that redundancies in place ensure they’re caught quickly.
Belladonna-Carrera plans to address the issue before the next election cycle.
“I have no doubt that we have safe, secure elections. But I also don’t think that we should sort of sweep it to the side and say, well, it just happens to be in one instance or the other instance,” Belladonna-Carrera said. “All of our voters are owed a level of confidence.”
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Minnesota
Family of Minnesota woman sentenced for drug trafficking says she got caught up with cartel after getting stuck in Mexico
ST. CLOUD, Minn. — Several events in Minnesota have had ties to the Sinaloa Cartel, including a Minnesota woman who was sentenced to more than 26 years in prison.
“Obviously, she messed up… but she does not deserve to sit that much time,” said Tanja Tilleskjor, mother of Macalla Knot.
Friends and family of Knott, or “Calla,” say she’s not what you think after Knott pleaded guilty to distributing nearly $10 million worth of drugs from Mexico to the upper Midwest.
“I understand there are consequences for her actions, but I have seen people’s lives transformed,” Ashley Schlichting, a longtime friend of Knot, said.
Knott moved south of the border in March 2020 after being laid off. Her family says she tried to come back but didn’t have a passport to do so.
“I think it went dark really fast, went downhill very quickly and was stuck in a situation she couldn’t get out of,” Schlichting said.
Former CIA Agent Jack Rice explained how this can happen.
“Imagine what happens when somebody says, ‘How would you like $100,000?Look how easy this will be. It’s a couple of hours work. It’s nothing.’” Rice said.
Knott’s sentencing happened just days before three were charged in a Cartel-related kidnapping in St. Paul.
“They are much more difficult to actually control than smaller organizations in the Twin Cities and elsewhere. These are powerful multi-national operations with huge resources” Rice said. “The cartel is here to make money. The cartel is here to make profit.”
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