St. Paul, MN – Taking a stand to ensure frontline caregivers are included and heard in critical patient care and staffing decisions, more than 1,500 registered nurses, pharmacists, nurse practitioners, lab techs, physicians assistants, nurse midwives, and other caregivers at 29 metro area HealthPartners clinics today delivered a 10-day notice to HealthPartners of a two-day strike.

It really hurts me that HealthPartners has made us take our stand for safe staffing and quality patient care to this level. But we will not back down from this fight for our patients, said Kate Lynch, a Licensed Practical Nurse at HealthPartners Arden Hills Clinic.

HealthPartners should be leading the charge for improved collaboration with frontline caregivers, not blocking it, said Jean Pfarr, a Registered Nurse at HealthPartners Specialty Center in St. Paul & HealthPartners Como Clinic also in St. Paul.

If patient satisfaction and safety are HealthPartners’ core purposes, it’s time for the voice of caregivers to be heard, continued Pfarr.

The notice by the members of the SEIU Healthcare Minnesota negotiating team calls for a two-day strike on Wednesday, February 13th and Thursday, February 14th unless an agreement is reached.

The collective bargaining agreement between SEIU Healthcare Minnesota members and HealthPartners expires at 11:59PM on Thursday, January 31, 2008.