WestHealth Nurses in Plymouth Plan Strike Over Holiday Pay
Nurses at Allina’s WestHealth campus in Plymouth are planning to strike starting Sunday. They are advocating to receive holiday pay, saying they deserve it because they’ve been understaffed and have had to work longer hours.
“Forty-eight of us at WestHealth in Plymouth are looking for holiday wages and double-time for Christmas. That’s been our effort since May of this year,” said Sonya Worner, a registered nurse who works for WestHealth.
Worner says nurses don’t receive additional pay for working any holidays, which is inconsistent with other contracted employees at other hospitals.
A statement from the Minnesota Nurses Association also says that providing the benefits and holiday pay would not only compensate the workers already working, but help recruit and retain new talent.
“While there is no shortage of nurses who want to work at the bedside, there is a shortage of nurses willing to work under current hospital conditions. A fair contract is an important first step toward ensuring a safe and welcoming workplace,” read the statement provided to CCX News.
A statement released by Allina Health expressed disappointment in the planned strike. It says that “we previously reached a contract settlement that was unanimously recommended by the union’s bargaining team” and that the union couldn’t finalize the agreement.
“At a time when hospitals are under significant pressure throughout the state and country due to sustained high volumes from COVID-19 and other acute illness, a work stoppage benefits no one,” read the statement from Allina Health.
The strike is scheduled to start Sunday, Oct. 17, at 7 a.m. and last until Wednesday, Oct. 20, at 7 a.m.
