Union members said this is the first time hundreds of Allina doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants have gone on strike.
WEST ST PAUL, Minn — For the first time in Minnesota, hundreds of Allina doctors hit the picket lines for a one-day.
“We’re all here together because we believe primary health care can and needs to be better,” said Cora Walsh, a doctor at Allina Health’s West St. Paul clinic. “Healthcare has changed dramatically in recent years.”
Walsh is a member of the Doctors – Council SEIU, a union made up of Allina physicians, nurse practitioners, and physicians’ assistants. The union was formed two years ago and has 600 members.
“When done well, primary care saves lives,” Walsh said.
The strikes happened across the metro. She said they’re fighting for adequate staffing, so they can better support their patients.
“The majority of us have felt forced to cut back patient appointment times simply to keep up with growing volume of work outside those appointments. Our patients feel this. When the wait to see your doctor is months long, it is a reflection of the shortage of primary care providers and staff,” she said.
In a statement, Allina Health said they had a contingency plan in place “which includes working with the more than 25% of providers represented by the union who chose to work.”
Matt Hoffman, a doctor at an Allina Health clinic in Vadnais Heights, said they started the union after there were staff and pay cuts three years ago.
“We have been fighting for our patients for three years and we will never stop fighting for them,” Hoffman said.
He said they’re also fighting for better pay and benefits. He said pay isn’t the most important thing. He said they’re looking for small pay increases. Hoffman said they want benefits to stay the same, such as retirement and healthcare. He said the contract language would allow Allina to change those things at any time. He said it’s important to retain and attract primary health care providers.
The union and Allina have met dozens of times since the union was formed. Hoffman said Allina was done bargaining until the union voted to strike. He said they’ve met twice since members voted to strike.
In a statement, Allina Health said, “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.”
“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,” the statement further reads.
Peg Carls is an Allina Health patient and attended the rally to show her support. She said she loves how empathic and smart her doctor is, but she said she has noticed a change in the clinic.
“They don’t have the support staff. I can see the difference over the years that their support staff has decreased. The people they have are excellent, but they need more help,” Carls said.
Carls said her clinic used to do in-house lab testing, but now they outsource it. She said they used to get their results right away and now they must wait. Carls said getting results promptly is critical for some patients.
She said she wants Allina Health to recognize that primary care is essential and has personally made a difference in her life.
“I have an active life, but that’s not without some struggles, and if I didn’t have that support, I’m afraid I’d be a bigger expense to the medical system,” she said.
Allina Health said it’ll continue to negotiate with the union. Hoffman said the two sides will have another bargaining session in December.