Hundreds of doctors across Allina Health clinics in Minnesota have taken the extraordinary step of going on strike—the first physician walkout in state history and one of the largest in the U.S. These frontline professionals aren’t demanding luxury perks or massive pay raises. They’re asking for basic protections: time to complete paperwork, support staff to help them care for patients, and working conditions that don’t drive them to burnout.

After 20 months of failed negotiations and more than 50 bargaining sessions, Allina doctors—now unionized under Doctors Council SEIU—walked out in frustration. Many are forced to complete patient messages and paperwork late at night, unpaid. Others are expected to see more patients with less support. Some even answer phones and give vaccinations themselves because the clinic cut staff. This is not sustainable—and it’s dangerous for patients.

Allina Health claims that giving doctors four hours a week of paid admin time and restoring basic staffing levels is “unaffordable,” blaming financial pressures and federal cuts. But the cost of not supporting these doctors is far higher. When physicians burn out, patients wait longer, care gets rushed, and mistakes become more likely. Families across Minnesota are already seeing the cracks.

This fight isn’t just about one day on the picket line. It’s about preserving the future of primary care in Minnesota—and setting a national precedent for how we treat the people who care for us.

We urge Allina Health executives, including CEO Lisa Shannon, and the Allina Board of Directors to return to the table with a fair contract offer. Support your doctors so they can keep supporting us.

Stand with Minnesota’s frontline medical workers. Tell Allina: Stop the burnout, invest in care.

Photo: Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune