Minneapolis, MN – About 5000 nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) voted overwhelmingly to reject the latest offer by Allina Health, June 6, and authorize the negotiating team to call a strike in the coming weeks.

“Nurses know what’s at stake. Nurses are prepared. We have to be advocates for our practice, our patients and for ourselves and our family,” said Angela Becchetti, a registered nurse at Abbott Northwestern Hospital.

According to a statement from the MNA, “Nurses at all four hospitals voted by overwhelming majority to reject the contract offer and tell Allina to return to the bargaining table.”

At issues is Allina’s proposal attacking the nurses’ heath care benefits.

“Allina's negotiators never made the case why they need to cut nurses' health plans and ask nurses to pick up $10 million in costs. They’ve said it’s not about money. They said it’s about lowering nurses’ benefits to the low levels that their other employees suffer with,” Becchetti said.

The MNA must give the employer a ten-day notice before a strike.

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