Contact: Rick Fuentes
(o) 651-414-2863
(c) 612-741-0662
rick.fuentes@mnnurses.org
Barbara Brady
(o) 651-414-2849
(c) 651-202-0845
barbara.brady@mnnurses.org
(St. Paul) – February 25, 2016 – Minnesota Nurses Association nurses from Unity, United, Abbott Northwestern/Phillips Eye Institute, and Mercy hospitals overwhelmingly rejected Allina Health’s offer to eliminate MNA health plans during all-day voting today.
The offer would have ended four different health insurance plans for nurses, which have been part of the MNA contracts for 20 years. Allina offered to keep one of those plans for one year.
“I have very good insurance now. I don’t want to lose that insurance,” said Valerie Johnson, RN at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. “I would have to spend so much on my healthcare if I got injured on the job, it wouldn’t be worth it for me to continue being a nurse.”
Nurses voted from 6 a.m. until 9 p.m. at MNA offices. The employer’s offer came as a result of negotiations that took place on February 10, 17, and 19 of this year. The two sides left the bargaining table without any agreement. The nurses’ negotiating team recommended MNA members reject the offer by Allina.
