After five Allina Health hospitals and their nurses failed to reach an agreement over a new three-year contract, 4,800 nurses from the Minnesota Nurses Association issued a seven-day strike on June 19 against their hospitals. Allina was forced to hire over 1,000 replacement nurses to work during the week of the strike.
One of the major points in the negotiations between the nurses and Allina Health is a possible change to nurses’ health insurance. Allina has a plan to eliminate union-backed health insurance, but a new offer ending the strike gives nurses until 2020 to make the insurance move. The new offer also had some additional benefits to their nurses including allowing the union to appoint nurses to workplace safety committees and 2 percent raises for each of the next three years.
In reaching this new tentative agreement, Allina Health has shown that it is open to constructive dialogue on issues important to both parties. The Minnesota Nurses Association must still review the proposal, but the new offer was a step in the right direction for Allina and its 4,800 nurses. In a final statement, the union said their position has been clear from the beginning and nurses will not accept a step backward economically in their next contract.
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