Allina Health Doctors Authorize Open-Ended Strike as Contract Talks Enter Third Year

MINNEAPOLIS, MN

Doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants at Allina Health have authorized an open-ended strike as contract negotiations with the Minneapolis-based health system continue to stall, with both sides set to return to the bargaining table March 16.

About 650 physicians, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners voted to authorize their union to call an open-ended strike across 57 Allina Health clinics in Minnesota and Wisconsin, as negotiations over a first labor contract governing wages and benefits enter their third year. Union leaders have not yet called a strike, which requires a 10-day notice, saying they hope the threat alone will be enough to jumpstart talks that have failed to produce a contract after more than 50 bargaining sessions. Ninety percent of members voted in favor of the strike authorization.

What the Union Is Demanding

The union is pushing for changes in three main areas. Among their demands is four paid hours each week to complete paperwork and respond to the rising volume of patient emails and electronic messages, work doctors currently perform without pay, often late at night, which union leaders say is fueling burnout and threatening patients' access to timely care.

The union is also seeking wages that keep pace with inflation and stable, written-in benefits including retirement and health coverage. Union leader Dr. Matt Hoffman said Allina had been planning to cut wages for most primary care providers. "We're not fighting for big wage increases," he said, "but Allina is trying to cut some of our members' pay, which we find unacceptable."

Union leaders also raised concerns about executive compensation. According to ProPublica, Allina Health CEO Lisa Shannon received about $3 million in total compensation in 2023 and approximately $4 million in 2024. "This is a health system that can somehow decide to pay executives 20% raises yet can't provide care for some of our poorest patients," Hoffman said.

Allina's Response

Allina Health called the authorization vote disappointing. "While this action does not guarantee a strike, it shifts focus away from the meaningful progress that continues at the bargaining table," the health system said. "We continue to negotiate in good faith toward a fair, sustainable agreement that provides competitive compensation and benefits for our providers."

The health system has previously called the union's proposals "simply not realistic or sustainable" given rising costs and federal Medicaid cuts. Allina is one of the largest health systems in the Upper Midwest, with $5.9 billion in revenue in 2024. Since clinicians voted to unionize in 2023, Allina has shuttered four primary and urgent care clinics.

Background

The November 5, 2025 walkout, in which hundreds of Allina doctors picketed outside clinics in Coon Rapids, Minneapolis, and West St. Paul, was the first physician strike in Minnesota history and one of the largest involving doctors in U.S. history. Union leaders said negotiations gained some momentum following that walkout, but progress has recently stalled again.

What's Next

No strike notice has been filed as of March 10, 2026. The next bargaining session is scheduled for March 16. "It's on the table for sure," Hoffman said. "We just had a really successful authorization vote. We need to see what happens."

Any decision to strike would require the union to file an official 10-day notice under Section 8(g) of the National Labor Relations Act, the federal provision governing strike actions at healthcare institutions, before a walkout could begin. Patients with questions about their care during a potential strike are encouraged to contact their Allina clinic directly or seek services at urgent care facilities and hospital emergency rooms in the metro area.

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