Members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa plan to strike July 6 outside Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Allina Health’s corporate headquarters in Minneapolis, according to a union news release shared with Becker’s.
The union represents 65 hospice nurses who provide home hospice care for Minneapolis-based Allina Health. Allina Health has about 27,850 employees across Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
Union members authorized the one-day unfair labor practice strike earlier in June. The health system and union have been negotiating for nearly a year on a first labor contract. According to SEIU, key sticking points include wages and other economic proposals.
“We were the only employees at Allina Hospice denied annual wage increases this spring, after they also denied us a fair wage increase last summer,” Susie Smerz, a hospice nurse at Allina for more than 11 years and a member of the SEIU bargaining team, said in the release. “We don’t feel valued, and we don’t feel heard. For months, we’ve asked Allina to bargain a contract that supports work-life balance, respects our profession, and gives us the time and resources to provide the exceptional end-of-life care our patients deserve.”
In a statement shared with Becker’s, Allina Health said it is disappointed the union is moving forward with a strike rather than continuing negotiations with the help of a federal mediator.
The health system said it is prepared to provide safe care during the scheduled one-day strike and remains committed to reaching an agreement while preparing for the work stoppage.
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