Minneapolis, MN – On the morning of Sept. 27, 400 striking Allina nurses from Abbott, United, Unity and Mercy hospitals, along with members of many unions and community supporters, rallied in the street in downtown Minneapolis, tying up early morning rush hour traffic. The rally was held in front of the hotel where General Mills was having its annual shareholder meeting.

Minneapolis, MN – Nearly 5000 members of the Minnesota Nurses Association walked off the job at Allina hospitals, Sept. 5, Labor Day, in an open-ended unfair labor practices strike. Allina is pressing for concessions on the health care plans that would shift more costs to the nurses.

St. Paul, MN – Negotiations between nurses and Allina Health ended with no agreement and no responses by hospital negotiators on nurses' proposals, Aug. 23. Allina negotiators continue to say that they will not offer proposals or discuss issues of staffing and workplace safety until nurses agree to end all of their health insurance plans.

Minneapolis, MN – AFSCME 3800 members – clerical workers at the University of Minnesota – joined nurses of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) on the picket lines June24 to show their solidarity.

Minneapolis, MN – Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) were on picket lines in force today, June, 20, as more than 4800 nurses began the second day of their seven-day unfair labor practices strike at five Allina Hospitals. A key issue is Allina’s demand that nurses take a big hit on health care benefits.

Minneapolis, MN – On July 1 the Minnesota nurses’ union negotiating team reached a settlement with management, averting a strike. If they would have gone on strike, it would have been the largest nurses strike in U.S. history. The following is the text of a leaflet that Fight Back! prepared to distribute on the nurses’ picket lines during the strike. While the strike didn’t happen, we are sharing this leaflet because it lays out the importance of the nurses’ struggle in the context of the economic crisis.

Minneapolis, MN – Minnesota nurses returned to the bargaining table with Twin Cities Hospitals on June 29. Four days earlier, on June 25, the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) had filed a ten-day notice of intent to strike, setting the stage for an open-ended strike beginning July 6 at 14 area hospitals.

Minneapolis, MN – Throughout the day on June 21, thousands of nurses streamed to the voting sites and overwhelmingly voted to authorize an open-ended strike against 14 Twin Cities hospitals. With 84% voting in support of authorizing a strike, the nurses have taken another historic step. On June 10, in the largest single strike in U.S. history, 12,000 nurses walked out for a one-day strike. After the hospitals refused to return to the bargaining table, the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) called for a second vote, this time to authorize a strike that could be open ended.

12,000 prepared to walk out in largest nursing strike in US history

St. Paul, MN – On June 10, nurses from around the Twin Cities are ready to walk off their jobs in a one-day strike after nearly three months of contract negotiations. On May 19, over 90% of 9200 nurses voted overwhelmingly to reject the hospitals’ offer. While the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) continued to try to bargain in good faith, the hospitals refused to respond to even one proposal put forward by the nurses’ union.