The Strategic Alliance
The strategic alliance
agreement, which aims to improve the delivery of health care in
Minnesota, is the first of its kind in the Midwest.
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.