15,000 Minnesota Nurses Set Strike Dates That Will Affect 15 Hospitals

(MNN/KDLM) – Union leaders gave notice Thursday morning that 15 thousand members of the Minnesota Nurses Association plan to go on strike September 12th through the 15th, at 15 hospitals in the Twin Cities and Duluth/Superior area, saying they’re fighting for “fair contracts to put patients before profits”.

“Our patients deserve better, our families deserve better, our communities deserve better, we deserve better,” said MNA member Katie Donner of St. John’s Hospital. “We will see you on the picket line.”

Union leaders still have the option of pushing back the strike date or calling it off, if there is progress in contract talks. The Twin Cities Hospitals Group says they’re disappointed the nurses union “refuses to exhaust all available means to avoid potential disruption to patient care,” noting that mediation was successfully used in previous contract talks. Hospital executives might be able to use that lack of mediation as an argument to federal officials to block a nurse’s strike, but whether things go that direction remains to be seen.

“We have done everything all of our proposals are designed to keep nurses at the bedside and I cannot read enough that the public health crisis is on its way here if 50% of our nurses leave the bedside,” said MNA president Mary Turner.

The strike will begin at 7 am September 12th and end at 7 am September 15th, though the dates are not irrevocable. Union leaders have the option of pushing it back or calling off a strike if there’s progress in contract talks. The strike would impact Essentia and Saint Luke’s in Duluth, Allina, HealthPartners, North Memorial, M Health Fairview, and Children’s in the Twin Cities.