Minnesota Nurses Approve Second Strike

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Thousands of Minnesota nurses have voted to authorize another strike on 14 hospitals in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.

The Minnesota Nurses Association says 84 percent of nurses voted yes to authorize open-ended strike. The nurses must give the hospitals a minimum of 10 days' notice but could strike anytime after that.

About 12,000 nurses went on a one-day strike on June 10, saying they wanted increased staffing in the hospitals and didn't want cuts to their pension.

Unlike that strike, the nurses on Monday voted on a longer and potentially open-ended walkout.

A spokeswoman for the hospitals says the union's staffing proposals are unnecessary and very expensive, but the hospitals are willing to negotiate under certain conditions.

No new talks are scheduled.

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