MINNEAPOLIS, June 11 (UPI) -- Nurses in Minnesota's Twin Cities ended a one-day strike against 14 hospitals over patient care and staffing levels they say involved a "lot of pain."
Both sides said they'd proved their points on a tense strike day Thursday, and the hospitals treated patients with little disruption using temporary hires. The nurses say their spirited and cohesive walkout called public attention to their concerns, the (Minneapolis) Star Tribune reported Friday.
"I really liked the unity and the bond we felt," Sue Truhler, a 30-year nursing veteran, said. "We were all here as one for our patients, and it was hard for us to look up at the patients' rooms. Family members told us to hurry back."
But the walkout was not without pain, she said.
"It feels good to go back to work, but it will be difficult because we had a lot of pain, and personally there are a lot of hurt feelings," Truhler, 54, said. "They treated us like criminals last night, and I've never seen more security officers in my life."
The Minnesota Nurses Association and 14 Twin Cities hospitals still need to negotiate a new contract.
No new talks between the hospitals and nurses are scheduled as each side considers the effect of the walkout and the next steps to take, the Star Tribune said.
