MN: Union workers strike HealthPartners in Stillwater

Stillwater, MN – More than 80 healthcare workers at HealthPartners Stillwater clinics have been on strike since Tuesday, July 8. The workers are represented by the Healthcare Minnesota and Iowa local of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

Heather Eggers is a medical assistant in family medicine with HealthPartners Stillwater. Eggers said, “We’re out here because there have been seven bargaining sessions, and the employer has come back with less than adequate compensation. We’re fighting for our wages over the next three years to be 5.75%, 5% and 4% and for better teaming benefits, floating benefits and other things that would help us do our jobs better.”

Workers decided it was time to show management how serious they are and took a strike vote. Voter turnout was extremely high and resulted in a 99% vote to strike. The union then filed a legally required ten-day notice of their intent to strike and began on July 8. The workers decided they would strike for four days, ending at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 11.

At the center of the dispute are wages. The union workers say that management has refused to come to the table with raises that respect their work. As the strike continues, HealthPartners is bringing in temporary replacement workers. The scab workers are paid significantly more than the workers on strike to do the same work.

In addition to across the board raises, the workers are seeking compensation for duties beyond their normal work when required. The workers are asked to perform “teaming,” which means that when a particular provider in the system is short-handed the extra work is performed by these workers in addition to their normal workloads. They believe they should be paid extra for this work as they are doing more than one person’s job. Similarly, they would like to be paid extra when they are required to float to areas other than where their normal job is based.

Fight Back! joined the HealthPartners workers on the picket line on Thursday. The picket was well attended, and community and labor supporters showed solidarity with the striking workers. It was a hot and humid day, and a local ice cream truck set up across the street from the picket line and was giving out free ice cream in support of the strike. Many cars passing by on the street honked, as people cheered and waved at the workers in support.

At 11 a.m. on Thursday July 10, an announcement went out across the picket line that management called and wants to go back to the bargaining table. The union and management will meet on Friday, July 11 to resume bargaining.

Eggers had a message for management, “Look at our support out here. We have had numerous people from the community coming by and supporting us, our patients coming by and supporting us. We’re here for the community so let’s listen to them and pay us what we are worth.”

The strike will continue on the sidewalks of HealthPartners Stillwater on Friday even as bargaining resumes.

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