Hundreds of nurses authorize strike with Sanford-North Memorial merger talks underway

ROBBINSDALE, Minn. (KFGO) – About 600 nurses at Maple Grove Hospital in the northwest Twin Cities are set to go on strike.

A vote to authorize an unfair labor practice strike follows more than a year of contract negotiations. A strike authorization gives the bargaining team the power to call a strike at the end of a cooling-off period.

The Minnesota Nurses Association says its members are demanding increased staffing, better nurse retention, and greater accountability. Maple Grove Hospital is the largest birth center in Minnesota and announced last week that it’s in merger talks with South Dakota-based Sanford Health.

Maple Grove is part of North Memorial Medical System.