Nearly 150 Unionized Doctors at Twin Cities Hospitals Staged a Rare Four-Day Walkout

Unionized doctors represented by Doctors Council SEIU picketed outside Allina Health's Mercy Hospital in Coon Rapids and its Unity campus in Fridley for four days beginning September 14. The strike followed three years of bargaining and more than 60 bargaining sessions. The union authorized a walkout in July with 90% member support and provided the required 10 days' notice.

Allina characterized the disruption as limited, noting the union represents about 10% of credentialed physicians at the two campuses. The company reported that 37 union physicians crossed the picket line and that 40 were not scheduled that week. Both campuses remained open during the strike.

Paid sick leave: Minnesota state law provides six paid sick days a year to full-time workers. The striking physicians say they cannot use paid sick leave without dipping into vacation time, a problem they say is unsustainable given the higher risk of workplace illness in healthcare.

Cost-of-living adjustments and compensation structure: Negotiations have included discussions of cost-of-living adjustments amid rising inflation and fuel costs. Doctors working across multiple Allina facilities disputed coverage and pay arrangements that they say leave them vulnerable.

The local dispute occurred while the health system reported $6 billion in revenue for 2025. Union members called attention to that figure alongside the revelation of a $26 billion merger being negotiated behind closed doors. Physicians framed their demands as reasonable given the system's revenue and ongoing corporate consolidation.

The physician walkout ran alongside a separate seven-day strike by roughly 60 Allina hospice nurses. The overlap of physician and nurse actions increased attention to staffing and working-condition issues across the system.

Operational impacts: Allina kept campuses open and reported crossovers of some physicians. Monitoring scheduling, patient care continuity, and whether similar union actions spread to other facilities will show whether this event remains localized.

Broader implications: The action highlights tensions between physician work conditions, hospital revenue growth, and consolidation. It also illustrates why unionization and labor actions are increasingly part of hospital labor dynamics.