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<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma><SPAN class=956014216-13102007>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B> Diane Scherrer
</FONT><A href="mailto:dscherrer@mnarn.org"><FONT face=Arial
color=#000000>dscherrer@mnarn.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> <BR><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
size=3><FONT color=#000000><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Diane Scherrer<SPAN
class=956014216-13102007>,</SPAN> RN<SPAN
class=956014216-13102007>, </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Western MA <SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Community Organizer, <SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Division of Legislation<SPAN
class=956014216-13102007>, </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Massachusetts</SPAN></st1:place></st1:State><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Nurses Association <SPAN
class=956014216-13102007> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT
title=http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/10487777.html?video=YHI&t=a&randpre=5541851><SPAN
class=997164921-12102007
title=http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/10487777.html?video=YHI&t=a&randpre=5541851><FONT
title=http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/10487777.html?video=YHI&t=a&randpre=5541851><SPAN
class=956014216-13102007><FONT face=Arial
size=2></FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=997164921-12102007><SPAN class=956014216-13102007><FONT
face=Arial>Background at </FONT></SPAN></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=997164921-12102007><SPAN
class=956014216-13102007></SPAN></SPAN><A
href="http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/10487777.html?video=YHI&t=a&randpre=5541851"><FONT
face=Arial
color=#000000>http://www.cbs3springfield.com/news/local/10487777.html?video=YHI&t=a&randpre=5541851</FONT></A><FONT
face=Arial><SPAN class=956014216-13102007> </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=956014216-13102007>&</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><SPAN class=956014216-13102007><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 9pt"><A
href="http://blog.masslive.com/breakingnews/2007/10/baystate_to_cut_health_service.html"><FONT
color=#000000
size=3>http://blog.masslive.com/breakingnews/2007/10/baystate_to_cut_health_service.html</FONT></A><FONT
size=3>.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Tahoma><SPAN
style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: navy; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></DIV></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV class=OutlookMessageHeader lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<P class=MsoNormal align=left></SPAN></FONT><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
class=956014216-13102007><FONT face="Courier New" size=2><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=4><STRONG><U>MNA response to Baystate choosing
profits over
patients</U></STRONG></FONT> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">In a blatant and
appalling display of putting profits before patients, Baystate Medical
announced this week that they are closing the Greenfield Office of the Bay
state VNA and Hospice. They also announced that there will be lay-offs
at the VNA office in <st1:City w:st="on">Springfield</st1:City> and at the
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Baystate</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Franklin</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Medical</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. This was announced the
same day that a negotiation session was scheduled with the Greenfield
VNA/Hospice nurses MNA bargaining unit. </FONT></SPAN></P></DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The nurses had thought
they were close to a tentative agreement after three years of
negotiations. This notice came just a week after hundreds of MNA nurses,
other unions, and community activists showed their support of the Baystate
VNA/Hospice nurses by leafleting the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Springfield</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">MassMutual</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Building</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> where two members of the Board
of Trustees of Baystate Medical Center are employed. <SPAN
class=956014216-13102007><FONT face="Courier New"
size=2> </FONT></SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN
class=956014216-13102007></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">Is this the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Baystate</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Medical</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> that cares about the community
and their employees or is this a company who clearly puts profits before
patients? </FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><FONT
face="Times New Roman"> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">The MNA is exploring all
options available in response to these lay-offs. We will continue to
support the nurses affected by this egregious action and will contact you as
we plan future actions to support the nurses and the
community.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><STRONG>Charlie Rasmussen</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left><SPAN class=554590314-13102007><STRONG>MNA</STRONG><SPAN
class=956014216-13102007><FONT
face="Courier New"> </FONT></SPAN></SPAN><STRONG>Associate Director for
Union Communications</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left><STRONG>330 Turnpike St.</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left><STRONG>Canton, Ma 02121</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left><STRONG>o-781-830-5756</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left><STRONG>c-781-363-0728</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left><STRONG><A title=mailto:crasmussen@mnarn.org
href="mailto:crasmussen@mnarn.org"><FONT
color=#000000>crasmussen@mnarn.org</FONT></A></STRONG></DIV>
<DIV align=left><FONT face="Courier New"></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><SPAN class=956014216-13102007><FONT
face="Courier New">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=left><SPAN class=956014216-13102007><FONT
face="Courier New"></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV align=left><SPAN class=956014216-13102007><FONT face="Courier New">In
related news ...</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV align=left><SPAN class=956014216-13102007>
<P>Income-Inequality Gap Widens; Highest Since 1920s <A
href="http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/101207R.shtml"><U><FONT
color=#000000>http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/101207R.shtml</FONT></U></A></P>
<P>Greg Ip of The Wall Street Journal reports, "The richest Americans' share
of national income has hit a postwar record, surpassing the highs reached in
the 1990s bull market, and underlining the divergence of economic fortunes
blamed for fueling anxiety among American
workers."</P></SPAN></DIV></FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>
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