Twin Cities Nurses Heading Back to Work

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Nurses at five Allina Health hospitals in Minnesota have approved a contract to return to work.

A majority of rank-and-file members of the Minnesota Nurses Association on Thursday voted to ratify the tentative agreement reached earlier in the week. Both the union and Allina Health say the nurses will return to work Sunday morning.

The nurses had been on strike in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area since Labor Day, during which time they rejected multiple contract proposals from Allina.

Union Executive Director Rose Roach has said the agreement reached on Tuesday secures advances for nurses in workplace safety, staffing policies and health insurance.

In a joint statement, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and Lt. Gov. Tina Smith say they are "grateful this long and painful strike has ended."