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A letter from the MNA president
Dear MNA member:
Since April, when I first informed the membership
through the Mass Nurse newsletter that a change in MNA bylaws was
being proposed to support MNA disaffiliation from the ANA, I have
heard from many members. A surprising number of those members shared
that they had no idea that disaffiliation was even being discussed;
others asked for more information, particularly the reasons why
such a dramatic change was being proposed.
In response to the overwhelming request for information
from the membership, the Board has established a task force whose
purpose was to design a process that will allow for an open, balanced
process of information-sharing for MNA members on the issue of disaffiliation.
Chaired by Kathy Sperrazza, a member of the BOD, the task force
has met several times and designed a process that the BOD believes
will meet the informational needs of members throughout the state.
The June/July issue of the Mass Nurse and these stories on the MNA
web site represent the first step in that information-sharing process
which we hope will, not only generate understanding of the opposing
positions on ANA disaffiliation, but also encourage dialogue on
this important decision.
A description of the actual information-sharing
process is outlined in greater detail elsewhere on this website;
the plan will be to devote space to this discussion every month
in the Mass Nurse and on the website between now and the actual
Business Meeting on November 9. Eleven open forums are also
being planned for September and October throughout the state (two
each in Districts 1-4; three in District 5).
The actual disaffiliation decision does not belong
to any individual member or leadership group. It belongs to the
membership. More specifically, the decision will rest with the members
who actually vote at the annual business meeting on Nov. 9 in Boston.
In the course of making your decision, I hope that every member
will gather as much information as possible before taking a position
on an issue that is so critical to the future of the MNA. I would
encourage you to take the time to read all the information that
is being shared with you; to ask questions, to come to one of the
forums, and to carefully consider the issues at hand. Finally, I
would ask every member to come to convention and vote.
As always, please feel free to contact me by phone
781.830.5783 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Karen Daley |
