Allina nurses end strike, pledge to keep up fight for patient care, workplace safety

Allina nurses voted yesterday to ratify a three-year contract and end their historic strike at five Twin Cities facilities, but their fight for workplace safety, adequate staffing and respect on the job isn’t over. And after spending nearly a month and a half on the picket line this year, nurses know it’s a fight they […]

On 37th day of strike, nurses reach tentative agreement with Allina Health

Striking nurses will take down picket lines outside five Twin Cities facilities tonight after their bargaining team reached a tentative agreement with Allina Health on a three-year contract early this morning. Nurses will take a ratification vote Thursday. Their approval would trigger a separate agreement, also reached during overnight talks hosted by Gov. Mark Dayton […]

Striking nurses weigh contract proposal in advance of voting Monday

Striking nurses will vote Monday on a three-year contract proposal from Allina that makes some gains on staffing and safety – two of their top issues – but wasn’t good enough to win a recommendation from the union’s bargaining team. Nurses fought tooth and nail with Allina over the course of mediated talks this week […]

Laser focused on cutting health care, Allina turns deaf ear to nurses’ safety concerns

  When Celeste Kopacek’s patient in the neuroscience unit at Abbott Northwestern Hospital told her he was going home to get his gun and would come back to find her, she reported the threat to Allina security. “They told me to call back if he showed up,” Kopacek said. Since contract negotiations with Allina began […]

As strike drags on, nurses question Allina board members’ leadership

  The 16 members of Allina Health’s board of directors have remained mostly above the fray since a contentious round of negotiations with nearly 5,000 union nurses began in February. But that changed last week, when Allina nurses at five Twin Cities facilities began an open-ended strike and, at the same time, rolled out a […]

On Labor Day, nearly 5,000 Allina nurses begin open-ended strike (photos & video)

Thousands of Allina nurses and their supporters are spending Labor Day on the picket line, as members of the Minnesota Nurses Association today began an open-ended strike at five Twin Cities facilities. For the second time this summer, union nurses at United, Abbott Northwestern, Mercy and Unity hospitals and Phillips Eye Institute walked off the […]

Four ways to show support for Allina nurses in their open-ended strike

  Last-ditch talks between Allina nurses and management broke off early this morning after a marathon, 22-hour negotiating session failed to yield agreement on a new contract. As a result, nearly 5,000 members of the Minnesota Nurses Association plan to begin an open-ended strike Monday morning. If picket lines go up on Labor Day, nurses will count on broad […]

Allina nurses announce Labor Day strike deadline, as unions statewide pledge support

  Standing with leaders of unions representing workers across Minnesota, members of the Minnesota Nurses Association today announced they have delivered notice to Allina Health of their intent to begin an open-ended strike on Labor Day at five Twin Cities facilities. The two sides “regressed” in mediated talks earlier this week, MNA director Rose Roach […]

‘Angry and resolved to fight,’ Allina nurses authorize second strike

Nurses may soon be back on the picket line outside five Allina Health facilities in the metro area. And unlike their seven-day strike in June, a second work stoppage would be open ended. In balloting yesterday, members of the Minnesota Nurses Association voted to reject Allina’s latest contract proposal. Because a “supermajority” – at least […]

Nurses prep for second strike vote after Allina won’t budge in negotiations

Allina nurses came to contract negotiations today ready to compromise. Unfortunately, Allina executives had a very different agenda. The two sides cut off talks today without making progress on a new contract covering about 4,800 members of the Minnesota Nurses Association who work at five Twin Cities facilities. Allina Health rejected nurses’ compromise offer that […]