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KNA
And Its Union Separate
On July 8, 2008 the National Labor Relations Board granted
petitions (Amendment of Certification Petitions) filed by the KNA to
permit the KNA Collective Bargaining Division to become its own
independent union, separate from the KNA.
Effective immediately upon the signing and approval of those
petitions on July 8th, the KNA Collective Bargaining
Division became the Southern United Nurses (SUN).
SUN is a newly formed and independent union that is not
affiliated with the KNA. As
a result of this transition, SUN is the collective bargaining agent
for the new union and the KNA no longer services a union.
The effects of these developments on the KNA are expected to be
positive, despite the initial loss of just over five hundred members.
While KNA membership numbers will drop, the financial impact
will be positive. During
the last couple of years, the KNA’s expenses related to servicing
the union exceeded the income provided by the union.
In addition, union-related costs were unpredictable and often
sizeable. The transition
out of the union business will allow the KNA to stabilize its
operating budget and more accurately project expenses and income in
the future. KNA expects
the departure of the union to better position the KNA for growth and
investment in new and progressive membership services and benefits.
KNA
will actively encourage the members that have moved to SUN to join the
KNA as individuals, even though they are no longer members through
their union. In
addition, the KNA looks forward to embracing its future with a renewed
energy and fresh perspective that will be channeled into an upcoming
Membership Recruitment and Retention campaign to promote the benefits
and value of the KNA to RNs throughout Kentucky.
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