Nurses at two hospitals in northern Minnesota have overwhelmingly voted to authorize a one-day strike, which would become the second walkout in three months' time for nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association.
As with the Twin Cities nurses' strike in June, the 1,300 nurses at two hospitals in Duluth say nurse-to-patient ratios are the sticking point in negotiations, not wages. More than 85% of the nurses at the two hospitals voted to authorize a strike, the union said.
A news release from the union says the Duluth nurses are fighting for contract language that would allow them to close hospital units or refuse patient assignments in “unsafe staffing” situations. The release said the 12,000 nurses at the Twin Cities hospitals already have this language in their contracts.
A statement from 267-bed St. Luke's Hospital said that administrators were disappointed in the nurses' vote to reject their last best offer, but they are “prepared for any contingency.” A spokesman for 154-bed SMDC Medical Center could not be reached for comment.
The union has not yet filed a 10-day notice of intent to strike, which is required by federal law before a walkout.
