News

Tentative agreement for 8 Twin Cities hospitals

Photo: Xiaoming Zhao, Photos.com

May 17, 2012 at 6:18 am

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Workers at eight Twin Cities hospitals have reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract.

The union represents 3,500 nursing assistants, technicians and support staff. Its negotiators met with hospital representatives all day Wednesday, a day after 91 percent of union members voted to athorize a strike.

Details of the agreement won't be released until after union members have a chance to vote next week.

The Star Tribune says (http://bit.ly/Kh0DuR ) wages and benefits were key issues in the negotiations, including a proposal by the hospitals that would have increased workers' out-of-pocket costs for health insurance.

The Service Employees International Union Healthcare Minnesota represents workers at Bethesda, Fairview Riverside, Fairview Southdale, Methodist, St. John's, North Memorial and Children Hospitals in Minneapolis and Children's Hospital in St. Paul.