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Minnesota Nurses in contract talks with Allina Health were shut down from further negotiations when the employer rejected the nurses’ proposals and demanded nurses pay more for their health insurance plans, the union said.
Nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association presented their own set of proposals early Friday morning, including ending two of their contract health insurance plans.
“Nurses made a grand effort to work with Allina on a new contract that would protect nurses and help the company,” said Angela Becchetti, Registered Nurse at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis.
Nurses have been bargaining with Allina Health negotiators on a new three-year contract since Feb. 10. About 4,800 nurses held a seven-day unfair labor practice strike in July after Allina Health refused to give nurses information critical to their ability to offer proposals on health insurance plans, staffing, and workplace violence. Nurses came to the table Friday asking for a modest wage increase and improvements to workplace safety and staffing to offset eliminating two of their four health insurance plans.
“Allina told us it wasn’t enough,” Becchetti said. “Their negotiators said Allina wants workers to bear the increases in health insurance premiums. They’re still asking for money out of the pockets of nurses.”
Nurses proposed eliminating the 250 and Plus health insurance plans and keeping the Choice and Advantage plans. They also proposed nurses not be able to enter contract plans after they’ve left. In exchange, they asked for a wage increase of 2 percent each year of the three-year contract, a $1000 bonus, training on workplace safety, and a lighter load for charge nurses.
“The nurses came to negotiations today very hopeful on reaching an agreement,” Becchetti said. “They moved toward the middle, and the employer backed away again.”
Nurses will meet with Allina negotiators again on Aug. 1. Until then, nurses will take Allina’s latest offer to the 4,800 members who work in Allina hospitals at Abbott, Mercy, Phillips Eye Institute, United, and Unity.
As the final part of the process, MNA members will have vote to accept or reject an offer from the employer and whether to authorize a second strike on Allina Health hospitals. If nurses vote by a super majority to authorize a strike, the MNA negotiations committee will decide when to begin a strike and the duration of a strike. Nurses will still have to deliver a 10-day notice prior to any work stoppage.