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.
Love our Union!
Good to see other bargaining unions still have the power and the brass ornaments to encourage people they represent to vote against jeopardizing opposition.
Especially proud of those members who speak up for themselves, their families and other union co-workers, too. If you don’t protect each other, who will!?
Duty disabled Firefighter, Metro MN
Thanks to all of the Allina nurses that came out to vote, I was at MNA all day and saw many, many thousands of you, strength in numbers! #FeelThePowerMNA