Allina Health, to teachers union: Stop picketing us. Teachers: No.

[Omaha Steve]

Source: City Pages

By Susan Du

When 4,800 nurses walked off the job this week to protest Allina Health's proposal to take away their collectively bargained health plans, they got a lot of sympathy and support from teachers.

"This is more than just solidarity with our colleagues in organized labor," said Denise Specht, president of teachers union Education Minnesota. "Our 86,000 members work with students during the flu season. They get sick. When they do, we want them treated by healthy nurses with easy access to quality health care themselves. The outcome of this dispute affects us all."

The teachers union asked those of their members who are in town for summer break to join nurses' picket lines. Education Minnesota flooded its Facebook and Twitter pages with bright protest photos accompanied with statements like "Educators will be there to stand up against Allina," and "Educators Support Nurses."

This was a problem for Allina. The hospital system tapped attorney Grant T. Collins of Felhaber Larson to write the teachers union a cease and desist letter on Tuesday.

FULL story at link.


Allina Health threatened to sue the state's largest teachers union for these signs.
Education Minnesota

Read more: http://www.citypages.com/news/allina-health-to-teachers-union-stop-picketing-us-teachers-no-8380031

[Feeling the Bern]

1. Support all union actions. Never break a picket line and rise up, brothers and sisters

Solidarity!

[dflprincess]

2. It should be noted that 3 of the other large healthcare systems in the area,

Fairview, Healtheast, and Park Nicollet all settled with their nurses and not cut their health insurance benefits. There has been a lot of speculation about what the real agenda is.

Nice column in today's Start Tribune about a 90 year old doctor who worked at one of Allina's hospitals joining the nurses on the picket line last Sunday. I got an additional kick out of this as my friend's family went to Dr. Scallen for years and I knew someone who had him as her supervisor when she did her residency. Never heard anything but good things about him.

http://www.startribune.com/cardiologist-90-has-a-stake-in-the-allina-health-nurse-strike-joins-picket-line/384051501/


[div class = "excerpt"]
On a sultry Sunday, the 90-year-old with the stellar résumé took time away from a weekend with family to occupy a lawn chair at E. 28th Street and Chicago Avenue and watch the parade of nurses on strike against Allina Health.

As they passed, nurses called out to Dr. Ray Scallen, and he recognized many of them. Sixty years in the trenches with teams of nurses at Abbott Northwestern Hospital creates a bond you cannot forget.

Scallen is officially retired, but he goes into his office nearly every day and still admits patients for treatment and sees long-term patients who trusted him, literally, with their lives.

“I have a stake in what happens to the nurses,” said Scallen, who has participated in three strikes while working as a cardiologist at Abbott. “When I was on the picket line I saw hundreds of nurses I have worked with over the years, and I know their competency.”

[geardaddy]

3. Solidarity!

And I say that as an Allina patient.

[Hoppy]

4. Why should they "cease and desist?" They have a Constitutional right to join the picke xxxx Sorry,

I fucked up. The only part of the Constitution that is important is the 2nd Amendment.

[Omaha Steve]

5. Many would agree with you

[msanthrope]

6. Well, Grant....I suspect you just Striesanded this quite successfully. nt

[Delmette]

7. Allina Health is stupid and selfish.

Stupid to try to take away health care from nurses! The very people who need to be the healthiest when the rest of the country comes in contact with them when they are sick or injured.

Selfish because reducing the nurses benefits puts money in their pocket.

One more reason for universal healtcare.