(ABC 6 News) – A group of nurses from Mayo Clinic are looking to unionize under the Med City Nursing Alliance (MCNA).

MCNA is an independent nonprofit union for nurses working at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. It strives to create job satisfaction, community integration and financial stability.

In response, Mayo Clinic sent a letter to its RNs and LPNs in Rochester, giving its perspective on unionization, so nurses can make an informed decision.

In the letter, Mayo states unions can lead to limited flexibility, prevent direct interactions between staff and supervisors and make group decisions that could leave out dissenting voices, among other issues.

Sherry Wolf, Chief Nursing Officer for Mayo Clinic in Rochester provided ABC 6 News a statement saying:

“Our staff are our greatest asset in providing the best care to every patient, every day. We have an unwavering commitment to supporting our staff.  

“While employees have a right to unionize, Mayo Clinic believes that a direct relationship with staff benefits our employees, improves communication and helps us put the needs of our patients first. Working together directly helps our teams excel when caring for patients, improving processes or solving problems. Each staff member plays a role in that meaningful work. In the union environment, many important decisions will be subject to negotiation. Union engagement does not guarantee a specific result. 

“We routinely seek feedback from staff through various channels and use that feedback to make meaningful changes. Mayo Clinic will continue to support our teams in a variety of ways as we continue to meet the needs of our patients.”   

ABC 6 News also reached out to MCNA, who said they are not allowed to provide any statement or interview without Mayo Clinic’s approval, citing fear of losing their jobs if they speak out.

MCNA will host a meeting Thursday at 8 p.m. at the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Union Local 343. There’s also an option to attend the meeting virtually. The code to join is ary-bsyo-zqo.

MCNA is accepting donations for legal fees, advertising and website costs.

You do not need to sign a union authorization card in order to receive information on a union you may consider joining.