Doctors launch one-day strike against Allina Health
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Primary care doctors, nurse practitioners and physician assistants at Allina Health clinics walked off the job for a one-day strike Wednesday.
The 600-member Doctors Council SEIU announced a one-day strike after the union and Allina Health failed to reach an agreement at their most recent bargaining session. Union members picketed outside Allina clinics throughout the Twin Cities on Wednesday.
The union is asking for improvement in staffing levels at clinics, as well as better employee benefits. Speaking at a picket line in West St. Paul on Wednesday morning, union leaders said staff are burned out, with hours of administrative work to do and not enough staff to help.
“We all went into primary care to take care of people well, and right now, we feel like the conditions are such that it’s taking away from our ability to provide patients the time and the care that they deserve,” said Dr. Cora Walsh, a family medicine provider at Allina’s West St. Paul clinic.
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Practitioners said they frequently take paperwork home as their administrative workloads balloon. Walsh said the work cuts into appointment times, too, leaving doctors less time to spend with patients.
Union members said they went on strike because Allina executives aren’t engaging in bargaining on the union’s demands. The doctors unionized two years ago, and they have yet to reach a contract agreement.
The next bargaining session is scheduled for December. Union member Dr. Matt Hoffman said Allina offered a small pay increase in recent bargaining sessions, but no progress on the union’s demands for improved staffing and benefits.
“We’re happy to send proposals back and forth even before bargaining, but we need Allina to come to the table and really try to find a fair contract for us,” Hoffman said.
Union members indicated that this walkout could be the largest strike of its kind in U.S. history and the first for doctors in Minnesota.
Allina Health said in a statement that, while negotiations with the union are ongoing, providing safe and high-quality patient care remains a priority.
“We deeply value our care team members and remain committed to providing competitive compensation and benefits. However, we must balance these commitments with the broader financial realities facing the health care industry, our patients and consumers,” an Allina spokesperson wrote. “It would be irresponsible for either party to agree to a contract that adds significant new expenses that will undermine access and increase costs to those who pay for care.”
Union members plan to be back at work Thursday, after their temporary strike.
“We decided on one day because we do want to minimize the impact on patient care,” Hoffman said. “The hope is that we can show Allina that we’re willing to do whatever it takes to get to a fair contract.”
