Collective bargaining program ending.

The Missouri Nurses Association is officially announcing that we will be ending our collective bargaining program on December 31, 2011. As union membership across the state and across the nation has been in decline, we have also experienced a decrease in nurse participation in our program. The MONA Board of Directors have made the decision to focus our energies and our resources on programs and issues of greater interest to our members.

MONA has been and always will be a professional association dedicated to all those who have chosen nursing as their career. As such, we will continue our mission and tradition of professional advocacy through enhanced focus on quality continuing education, development of clear standards of practice, provision of sound practice advice, expanded networking opportunities and focused lobbying for legislative and regulatory changes to enhance nursing's ability to provide quality care for Missourians. This shift in emphasis will allow us to focus on enhancing our organizational affiliate program to increase collaboration and cohesion among associations and groups with whom we share common interest.