About 150 physicians at Allina Health's Mercy Hospital plan to walk off the job for four days, starting at 7 a.m. Monday, September 14, and ending at 7 a.m. Friday, September 18, according to a notice Allina posted for patients. The hospital's Coon Rapids campus and its Unity campus in Fridley will remain open during the strike, the health system says.
The physicians, represented by Doctors Council SEIU, include hospitalists, OB-GYNs, psychiatrists and critical care doctors, FOX 9 reported. Allina says the work stoppage does not include its other hospitals, primary care clinics, urgent care locations, specialty clinics or the independent physician groups that provide care at Mercy.
For north metro families with a surgery on the calendar, a baby due this month or a relative in intensive care, the practical question is whether care will happen as planned and who will provide it. Allina says care will continue, but it has not publicly detailed how striking physicians' shifts will be covered.
Allina Says Procedures Should Proceed Unless Patients Hear Otherwise
In its patient FAQ, Allina says its goal is for all procedures and surgeries to go ahead as scheduled, that it has activated comprehensive contingency plans, and that it will contact affected patients directly if a schedule change becomes necessary. Patients with appointments are told: "Please plan to attend your appointment as scheduled unless you hear directly from us."
For needs that are not emergencies, Allina points patients to their doctor's office, MyChart messages, urgent care or virtual urgent care. Anyone having a medical emergency should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Allina says patients can keep using MyChart and contacting their care team with questions during the strike.
The stakes are real because Mercy is a major regional hospital. It operates a Level II Trauma Center, and The Mother Baby Center in Coon Rapids serves families giving birth in the north metro, according to Allina's Mercy Hospital page.
Three Years of Bargaining Without a First Contract
The doctors voted to unionize in 2023, and the union won recognition in early 2024 after Allina challenged the result. The two sides had met for some 60 bargaining sessions without a first contract when the doctors voted by about 90 percent to authorize a strike, the Minnesota Reformer reported in early July.
The union filed its required 10-day notice on Friday, September 4, MPR News reported. According to FOX 9, the doctors' key concerns include sick days in line with Minnesota law, what the union describes as Allina's continued proposals of pay cuts, and a greater say in patient care decisions. "We have been left with no choice but to strike," said Dr. Alia Sharif, an internal medicine physician on the union's bargaining team, in comments reported by FOX 9. When they authorized the strike, the doctors also said they wanted cost-of-living adjustments after receiving no raises the previous year and a voice in how artificial intelligence is used, the Reformer reported.
Allina has disputed the union's account. In July, the health system said it had negotiated in good faith, had brought in a federal mediator, and that the union was seeking unsustainable economic demands. In its current notice, Allina says it remains committed to reaching an agreement.
The walkout also comes as Allina hospice nurses, represented by a separate SEIU union, planned a seven-day strike from September 11 through September 17, and as the Minnesota attorney general's office reviews California-based Sutter Health's proposed acquisition of Allina, according to FOX 9. Allina clinic doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners, who held a one-day strike last November, reached a three-year contract this spring, the Reformer reported.
Patients Most Likely to Notice a Difference
Hospitalized patients are the group most directly affected, because hospitalists manage much of the day-to-day medical care for people admitted to a hospital. Patients in intensive care, those receiving inpatient psychiatric care, and people giving birth at Mercy may also be cared for by physicians they have not met, depending on how Allina covers striking doctors' shifts.
Allina has not publicly said whether it is bringing in replacement physicians or shifting other doctors to cover. Because independent physician groups that practice at Mercy are not part of the strike, some patients may see no change in who treats them.
Several questions remain open. FOX 9 reported that the last scheduled bargaining session ended without a deal; it is not yet clear whether any surgeries or procedures will be rescheduled, and the strike could still be averted or shortened if the two sides reach an agreement.
Questions Worth Asking Before the Walkout Begins
Patients with procedures between September 14 and 18 can confirm their appointment through MyChart or their care team and ask who will perform or supervise their care. Pregnant patients due soon can ask their OB clinic whether their delivery plan changes during the strike and where to go if labor begins.
Families with a loved one currently admitted can ask the care team who the attending physician will be each day and how to reach that doctor. Keeping an updated list of medications, allergies, and recent test results on hand can also make handoffs between physicians smoother.
No one should delay emergency care because of the strike. Chest pain, trouble breathing, signs of a stroke, severe bleeding, or heavy bleeding during pregnancy call for 911 or the nearest emergency department.
The strike is scheduled to end at 7 a.m. on September 18. MedicalDaily will update this story if talks resume, the strike is called off, or Allina reports changes to patient services. For now, the most reasonable step for Mercy patients is to keep scheduled appointments unless contacted and to ask direct questions about who is providing their care.
Key Questions Answered
When is the strike? From 7 a.m. Monday, September 14, to 7 a.m. Friday, September 18, according to Allina.
Which hospital is affected? Mercy Hospital's Coon Rapids campus and its Unity campus in Fridley. Allina says both will remain open.
Who is striking? About 150 Allina-employed physicians represented by Doctors Council SEIU, including hospitalists, OB-GYNs, psychiatrists, and critical care doctors.
Will my surgery be canceled? Allina says its goal is for all procedures and surgeries to proceed as scheduled and that it will contact patients directly if a change is needed.
Are Allina clinics affected? No. Allina says its other hospitals, primary care clinics, urgent care locations, specialty clinics, and independent physician groups are not part of the strike.
What should I do in an emergency? Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department. Do not delay emergency care because of the strike.
What are the doctors seeking? The union cites sick days in line with state law, opposition to proposed pay cuts, and more say in patient care. Allina says it has bargained in good faith.
