After more than two years of negotiations, a union representing more than 600 doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners at Allina Health clinics has reached a tentative first contract agreement.
Doctors Council SEIU said the three-year deal was reached late Wednesday night.
The union did not release specific terms of the tentative agreement, which still needs to be ratified by members. But it said the deal includes “increased autonomy for providers including more control over their own lives and policies that affect patient care,” along with safety improvements, provisions for fair pay, and protections for family, parental and medical leave.
“This hard-fought tentative agreement gives us protections — in writing — we could only dream about when starting the process to unionize nearly four years ago,” Dr. Katherine Oyster, a member of the union’s bargaining team, said in a statement. “This contract goes a long way to help us provide the care we know our patients need and provides sustainability to a career plagued with burnout. This agreement will keep quality providers at Allina and help our community.”
Allina Health — which announced in March that it’s being acquired by a California-based health care nonprofit — said in a statement that it is pleased to reach the agreement.
“The tentative agreement reflects the priorities of both parties and supports Allina Health’s ability to continue caring for our community well into the future,” the health system said Thursday. “This important step forward allows us to focus on caring for patients and supporting the teams who provide that care every day.”
The contract deal was reached after more than 60 bargaining sessions and a one-day strike last November. Union members — which include primary and urgent care providers — last month had authorized a longer strike if an agreement wasn’t reached.
The Allina providers unionized in 2023 and had been negotiating a first contract with the health system since February 2024.
