Labor movement shows solidarity with striking Twin Cites nurses
Minneapolis, MN – AFSCME 3800 members – clerical workers at the University of Minnesota – joined nurses of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) on the picket lines June24 to show their solidarity.
Cherrene Horazuk, president of AFSCME 3800 stated, “When we were on strike in 2007, seeing all of the support from other unions was hugely inspiring to our members. This is an opportunity to give back some of the solidarity we received during our strike. The nurses are waging a fierce fight to protect the health care that all people deserve. It's time to stop the race to the bottom and the nurses are leading the way. They're not just fighting for themselves but for all working people.”
4600 members of MNA are in the middle of a seven-day strike against Allina Health Systems. The strikers have seen a tremendous outpouring of support from other unions, as well as members of the community. Each day on the picket lines, a colorful array of union t-shirts have been visible amid the sea of nurses in red. The outpouring of solidarity has been so strong that Allina lawyers sent a letter to Education Minnesota, the teachers union telling them to stop joining the picket lines. Education Minnesota responded by encouraging their members to show up in even greater numbers to express their support for the nurses.
The nurses strike continues through Saturday, June 25. Picket lines are set up from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm at five Twin Cities metro hospitals. To sign up for picketing, go to: https://mna.formstack.com/forms/allina_strike_sign_up