Minneapolis, MN – On April 7 in Minneapolis, around 500 SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members who work at Allina’s Abbott Northwestern Hospital picketed for around three hours. They have been bargaining for their next contract and have now authorized a strike across all eight Allina Hospitals by an overwhelming majority. The union members are demanding pay increases and financial recognition for working as essential workers through a global pandemic.

Allina is one of the largest and most successful hospital chains in Minnesota. In 2020, it gave large bonuses – some of them rivaling a full year’s pay for the lowest-paid Allina workers – to members of their management team. Yet Allina is offering 0% in raises to their workers in the first year of the upcoming contract.

The union appeared ready to strike if needed, and could be heard loudly chanting “What do we want? Fair contract!” and “If we don’t get it? Shut it down!” along the Chicago Avenue side of Abbott Northwestern Hospital, to honks and cheers from passing motorists.

The union says that they will hold similar pickets every Wednesday at a different Allina Hospital until Allina takes them seriously at the bargaining table and offers them a contract the members are willing to accept.

The next two pickets are scheduled to take place on Wednesday, April 14 at Allina St. Francis Hospital in Shakopee and Wednesday, April 21 at Allina’s United Hospital in Saint Paul.

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Minneapolis, MN – 4800 members of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) from five Allina Hospitals in the Twin Cities Metro Area walked off the job today, June 19 , beginning a seven-day strike. Allina management is insisting that the nurses settle for a new contract that would change their health care plan to the same ‘corporate plan’ that non-contract employees have. This would dramatically increase their out of pocket expenses to receive the same health care that the nurses provide for the community at Allina Hospitals every day.

After four months of failed talks, the nurses decided enough was enough and decided they had no choice but to call a strike to show Allina that they won't back down until they win the contract they deserve.

Members of AFSCME, the Teamsters, SEIU and many more unions were seen on the picket lines supporting the nurses. SEIU Healthcare MN filed a ten-day notice to picket and SEIU members from Allina hospitals will be picketing in solidarity with the MNA nurses.

You can join the picket line from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day starting on Sunday, June 19 through Saturday, June 26 at Unity Hospital, Mercy Hospital, Abbott Northwestern, United Hospital, and Phillips Eye Institute.

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