HealthPartners employees with a Roseville, Minnesota-based union have announced they are going on strike following nine months of contract negotiations.
Members of the Office of Professional Employees International Union Local 12 (OPEIU) made the announcement on Friday in St. Paul.
Workers say they're fighting for affordable healthcare benefits, fair wages and a respectful workplace environment.
The union says HealthPartners is refusing to give its members fair wages and is "continuing to attack the quality health care workers have fought so hard to keep."
Union representatives said in a release that the negotiations have been stonewalled and members have been punished for organizing.
In response to the announced strike, HealthPartners said the following in a written statement:
"Our colleagues represented by OPEIU Local 12 work in various office and administrative positions in our organization, and they are a valuable part of our team. We remain committed to reaching a fair and financially responsible agreement with the union and hope to avoid a strike. If Local 12 representatives choose to proceed with a work stoppage, we will continue to support our patients and communicate with them directly as needed."
Source: cbsnews.com
