Striking nurses revamp voting method for Monday’s decision on Allina’s latest offer

The union representing more than 4,000 striking Allina Health nurses will use a different method Monday when nurses vote whether to accept a proposed three-year contract and end the weeks-long walkout, reports Star Tribune.

The Minnesota Nurses Association will count votes in aggregate for nurses at all five hospitals affected by the strike, instead of letting each hospital vote individually on the proposed deal, according to the article.

Previous contract votes this summer were voted separately for Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Phillips Eye Institute in Minneapolis, United Hospital in St. Paul, Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids and Unity Hospital in Fridley, the report states. All of these Minnesota facilities have been affected by the open-ended strike that began on Labor Day, as well as a week-long strike that took place in June.

The Star Tribune reports the union changed methods after a review of a 2001 contract document that shows bargaining units for Abbott, Mercy, Phillips and United should negotiate together on contract items such as health benefits that are "conformed."

MNA spokesman Rick Fuentes said voting separately would not make sense because the document requires uniformity on those contract items across the hospitals, according to the publication.

The document doesn't necessarily apply to nurses at the Unity facility, as they weren't represented by the MNA until after 2001, according to the report. However, the MNA board issued a directive this weekend to count their votes with the other hospitals, according to the report.

Another change distinguishes Monday's vote from previous contract votes.

The MNA's negotiators haven't advised nurses on whether to accept or reject Allina's latest offer. In previous contract votes this summer, the union recommended that nurses reject the Allina contract offers, according to the report. Allina's latest contract offer must be approved by a simple majority of all votes cast.

According to the Star Tribune, that latest offer gives nurses some guarantees about the cost of their health insurance through 2019 and addresses some of their concerns about workplace safety and staffing. However, the report notes, the offer phases out their popular union-controlled health plans and doesn't give the MNA the authority it wanted over the Allina corporate plans the nurses would be switched to.

According to the report, Allina officials have said the latest offer also includes 2 percent raises and a $500 bonus.

 

 

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