Links
Thousands of Minnesota nurses strike Twin Cities hospitals
Donning bright red, union T-shirts and waving "We care for you" signs, 12,000 Minnesota nurses walked off the job Thursday.
Unable to reach a contract with six metro hospital chains, the Minnesota Nurses Association launched a 24-hour strike, the largest in the history of the United States.
Nurses are seeking a 3 percent annual pay raise and protection of their pension plan. But the real issue dividing nurses and hospitals is the union's demand to set a maximum number of patients each nurse can see.
The union says a strict patient-to-nurse ratio will protect patient safety. Hospitals argue tough economic times requires flexibility in staffing schedules.
Picket lines sprung up at hospitals across the Twin Cities, including Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, Unity Hospital in St. Paul and Park Nicollet Methodist Hospital in St. Louis Park.