Tensions continue as nurses strike wears on
Twin Cities hospital operator Allina Health said Monday that 440 staff nurses have crossed picket lines or plan to do so by their next scheduled shift.
Meanwhile, thousands of nurses belonging to the Minnesota Nurses Association remain on strike at Allina facilities. The strike began on Labor Day, prompting Allina to bring in about 1,500 replacement nurses hired through agencies. Even then, nearly 375 permanent staff nurses had already committed to working through the strike, Allina spokesman David Kanihan said.
Union spokesman Rick Fuentes said the union is “very skeptical” of those numbers and does not have a way to readily verify them.
During the weeklong strike in June, Allina reported that 140 union nurses opted to work despite the strike. The MNA was able to verify only 70 of those instances by late July, Fuentes said. That number does not include members who left the union before going back to work, however. The union also cannot discipline nonmembers who continue to work, he said.
Read more: http://www.twincities.com/2016/09/12/tension-continues-as-nurses-strike-wears-on/