SEIU Healthcare Minnesota Members @ Allina Set the Standards for Twin Cities Healthcare Workers

The ballots have been counted and we have ratified a new contract that will help raise standards not only for Allina workers, but all healthcare workers in Minnesota.

The highlights of the contract include:

- Reaffirmation and extension of Strategic Alliance agreement which includes a commitment to the goals of an industry leading reputation for excellence in patient care, industry leading wages and benefits such as employer paid health care, secure retirement, and neutrality during union organizing.

-A jointly designed health insurance plan that includes two free primary care office visits (maximum five per family) at Allina’s clinics and free generic prescription drugs at Allina pharmacies.

-90% employer-paid single coverage for the jointly designed plan with the opportunity to move to 95% if specified wellness activities are completed.

- Patient care improvement measures including departmental patient care liaisons to work with management on patient care initiatives

- A jointly-run training and upgrade fund with $150,000 a year in employer contributions to ensure caregivers have access to state-of-the-art education and plan for future workforce needs

- Prepaid Tuition Assistance

- Improved Employment and Income Security that includes a 60-day notice of reductions and the commitment from Allina to redeploy displaced caregivers in a job with comparable pay, shift, and amount of hours

- Movement towards equal pay for equal work and across the board wage increases of 3% during every year of the contract

- A pension reopener after the first year of the contract.

Allina Hospital Workers

Members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota at Allina Hospitals are working together to make Allina hospitals the best place to work and the best place to receive care in the Twin Cities.

Allina Hospitals & Clinics and members of SEIU Healthcare Minnesota last year announced a historic strategic alliance and new contract. The strategic alliance agreement, which aims to improve the delivery of health care in Minnesota, is the first of its kind in the Midwest.

The Strategic Alliance

Allina Hospitals & Clinics and SEIU Healthcare Minnesota have embarked on a strategic alliance that represents a new model of health care-labor relations.

The alliance is part of a 10-year vision to provide industry-leading health care by creating an environment in which employees flourish, there are opportunities for advancement and growth, and resources are used in the most cost-efficient manner.

Affordable Health Care, Higher Wages, and Employment Security

As part of their contract with Allina, workers gained quality, affordable health insurance, better standards for patient care, employment security, better wages and pensions, and ability to form a union without interference from the employer.

• Quality, Affordable Health Insurance. This contract reduced the employee share of premiums – for some by almost $2,000 per year, capped out-of-pocket costs like co-pays and deductibles, and commits to moving toward full employer-paid single and family health insurance for SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members.

• Improved Quality Patient Care. SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members gained jointly designed programs and safeguards to make Allina the best place to receive care. Members are also part of the decision-making process at every level to improve quality patient care.

• Employment Security. Members in endangered jobs will have the opportunity to retrain and redeploy to jobs at Allina with comparable shifts, hours, and pay. In addition, members gained long-term disability insurance and improvements in short-term disability insurance.

• Better Wages & Pensions. Hospital workers at Allina gained four percent (4%) wage increases in 2006 and 4.5 percent increases in 2007. In addition, they gained a 19 percent increased in pension contributions.

• Freedom to Form a Union. As part of the strategic alliance, Allina will remain neutral in efforts by non-union employees to unite with SEIU Healthcare Minnesota.