ANA disaffiliation vote falls just short of 2/3 majority

A vote by the membership of the MNA to disaffiliate from its national organization, the American Nurses Association, narrowly failed to reach the required two-thirds majority, with 62 percent voting in favor of session from ANA. The vote was held at the MNA’s business meeting during its annual Convention at the World Trade Center in Boston on Nov. 9-10, 2000.

More than 1,100 nurses turned out for the vote, representing the highest ever attendance for a business meeting of the association. 

The vote was called to decide a bylaw proposal to disaffiliate from the ANA. A change in MNA bylaws requires a two-thirds majority vote. The vote was 648 in support of the disaffiliation bylaw change, with 397 voting against. That vote did not meet the two-thirds majority needed to change the bylaws. Later in the meeting, a motion to reconsider the previous vote on disaffiliation was passed by the membership body. This was followed by a second vote on the issue. The tally for the second vote was 414 in favor of disaffiliation, with 255 opposing the measure. Once again, the vote fell short of the margin needed to approve a bylaw change that would have resulted in MNA disaffiliating from the ANA (this time by 32 votes).

Throughout the summer and fall, the organization conducted a series of 11 town meetings throughout the state to educate members about the proposed change, and to allow both sides on the issue to present their case to the membership. 

The MNA, which represents more than 20,000 nurses throughout the state, is one of 54 constituent members of the American Nurses Association’s federation of state nurses associations. The MNA, which has been affiliated with the ANA since 1903, is the second largest state nurses association after New York in the ANA federation. 

Dues proposals considered

In addition to the issue of MNA’s relationship with ANA, the membership also cast votes on two proposals related to raising MNA dues. The membership voted down an across-the-board $40 dues increase for all members, which was proposed by the Board of Directors. 

However, the membership did approve a $52 increase in dues for its general membership effective Jan. 1, 2001. General members are those members of the association not involved in collective bargaining. The increase brings the dues of those members to parity with the dues of collective bargaining members. It was the first increase in dues for general members since 1987. The collective bargaining members had a $52 increase in 1994. 

New grads retain membership rate 

The membership voted to uphold the practice of allowing all newly graduated nurses to join the association at half the cost for their first two years out of school. A bylaw change to limit the benefit only to only one year following graduation was defeated by a vote of the membership. 

Peer Assistance Program 

The membership voted in favor of a bylaw change that establishes a standing Committee on Addictions, which includes the MNA’s much-heralded peer assistance program as part of the permanent MNA structure. When MNA reorganized under the MNA 2000 restructuring plan, the Addictions Council was no longer considered a standing committee under that new structure. The passing of this motion and the formation of this permanent structure recognizes substance abuse as a disease and the MNA’s professional responsibility to assist nursing colleagues with substance abuse problems by the commitment to continue its program of peer assistance.

Bylaws Committee expanded

Finally, two motions were passed related to the expansion of the members to the Bylaws committee from 6 to 10 members, to ensure a quorum of members to carry out the business of this group.