Overview
- More than 60 hospice nurses represented by SEIU voted to start a seven-day unfair labor practice strike beginning Friday after a final bargaining session produced no contract.
- The nurses have been negotiating a first contract for more than a year and staged a one-day protest in July before authorizing the weeklong walkout.
- Union demands include extra pay for additional hours, a holiday premium for salaried RNs, and more flexible, reasonable scheduling, which negotiators say Allina has resisted.
- Allina Health said it is preparing contingency plans to maintain patient care and urged continued talks with a federal mediator, while the union says it will bargain up until the strike begins.
- Labor leaders and community groups are linking the dispute to Minnesota’s review of Sutter Health’s proposed acquisition of Allina and are pressing for a binding Community Benefits Agreement that could shape long-term commitments and merger conditions.