Letter to Members Regarding the Election

May 20, 2010

Dear MNA BWH RN:

The MNA recently held a mail ballot election for the MNA/BWH Bargaining Committee.  During the election process some members raised questions about the election procedures utilized and compliance with Department of Labor (DOL) regulations.  Union elections must be conducted in accordance with the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) and rules established by the DOL through its Office of Labor Management Standards (OLMS).  Because the recent election process did not meet several of the requirements set out by the DOL (not all ballots returned by regular mail, signed ballots identifying the voter, and ballots not in a secure location throughout the process) due to incorrect information communicated by the MNA, 40% of the ballots had to be voided.  Clearly, it is the intent of the MNA and the BWH Bargaining Committee to encourage participation and to ensure that those who voted have their ballots counted.  In light of the issues raised and the MNA’s responsibility to comply with election regulations, the election will be conducted again.

The subsequent ballot mailing will list the instructions so that members can follow the process and assure their votes can be counted.  If you would like further details regarding these regulations and union election procedures they can be found at www.dol.gov/olms.  The Committee election mail ballot will be redone quickly.  You will be receiving the ballot and instructions in the mail in the next three weeks.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.  We look forward to being able to certify the election of your new MNA/BWH Committee in the coming weeks.

Roland Goff, Esq.
Legal Counsel and Unit 7 Administrator

RNG/rg