Allina Health hospice nurses announce 7-day strike
Allina nurses hold 1-day strike amid contract battle
Allina hospice nurses held a rally on Monday amid a one-day strike as they fight for a new contract.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - More than 60 hospice nurses at Allina Health say they will walk off the job on Friday after a final bargaining session ended without a deal.
READ MORE: Allina doctors at Unity, Mercy hospitals file strike notice after 3 years without contract
Hospice nurses strike at Allina Health
What they're saying:
The nurses, who are members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa, voted unanimously to authorize a 7-day Unfair Labor Practice strike after more than a year of contract negotiations and a one-day Unfair Labor Practice strike in July failed to produce meaningful progress.
READ MORE: Allina hospice nurses authorize 7-day strike amid contract talks
The group provides end-of-life care in patients' homes, assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities.
The nurses say they are demanding extra compensation for additional hours worked, holiday pay and more "reasonable" scheduling.
What they're saying:
Dawn Sloneker, an RN Case Manager and member of the SEIU bargaining team, said the final session left her feeling unheard.
"I feel frustrated, dismissed and disrespected. I feel like Allina just isn't hearing what some of our core concerns are," said Sloneker in a news release. "It seems their perspective is all about the dollars and cents. Our group of hospice nurses are fighting for much more than our wage increases. We are fighting for extra compensation for all the extra hours we are required to work. We are fighting for holiday pay. We are fighting for reasonable schedules that allow us to live our lives, plus much more."
Sloneker said the union made concessions during Tuesday's session in an effort to reach an agreement, but said Allina would not move on anything beyond wages.
"Our membership is united around not settling for a contract that leaves these critical priorities out. We made a lot of concessions in yesterday's negotiations on issues of real importance to our membership," said Sloneker. "We wanted to try to reach an agreement. However, the employer made it clear they weren't going to keep moving toward us on anything substantial other than wages. That is not enough for our nurses to honor the work we do every day caring for dying patients and their families."
What's next:
The two sides do not have any further bargaining dates scheduled.
The union said it will share more details on the time and location of the picket demonstrations.
The other side:
FOX 9 has reached out to Allina Health for a response and will update this story when one is received.
The Source: This story uses information shared by Allina Health.