Workers at 4 Allina hospitals vote to strike, strike authorization votes underway at 2 others

Minneapolis, MN – At all six Allina Hospitals in Minnesota, members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota are voting to authorize a strike after recent contract negotiations broke down around the issue of pay augments for essential workers. Union members are demanding $4 per hour pay augments, while Allina is not offering any pay augments or incentives for essential workers.

So far votes have been held at four of the Allina Hospitals, which include about 2500 of the 4000 SEIU members who work at the Allina Hospitals. The hospitals that have already voted are Abbot Northwestern, Mercy, Phillips Eye Institute, and Owatonna hospitals. Across the first four locations, the members have authorized a strike with a resounding 97% strike vote. Informational pickets are planned for April 7 and a strike would likely take place around the start of May.

Transport aide and SEIU union Steward Harry O’Mara said, “All of our management took bonuses and worked from home. Meanwhile at the same time the workers came in in-person and got zero. We endangered ourselves and family and got no respect. We are not going to stand for it, clearly. The 97% has spoken to strike.”

Votes are scheduled in coming days at Allina’s United and Saint Francis Hospitals. This is a developing story and Fight Back! will continue to cover it as it develops.