‘Cover Stories’ Archives
Nurses Go on Three-day Strike at Abbott Northwestern and Childrens Hospital
The picket line turned the corner at 26th Street and 10th Avenue and proceeded all the way to Chicago Avenue. Photo: Peter Molenaar By LINDSEY FENNER Over 15,000 nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) went on a three-day unfair labor practices strike from September 12 to 14 at sixteen hospitals around the Twin Cities and Northern Minnesota, including two in the Phillips neighborhood. The union believes this was the largest strike of private-sector nurses in U.S. history. Nurses cited safety and short staffing as their main concerns. Picket lines at Abbott Northwestern and Children’s Hospital were a sea of support for striking nurses, with a solidarity rally organized by SEIU Healthcare Minnesota & Iowa at Abbott Northwestern on Wednesday, September 14. Abbott Mental Health and Central Lab workers represented by SEIU have also been in contract negotiations with many of the same workplace concerns as nurses. The nurses’ union and hospitals have [...]
They’re Back!: The Return of the Uncles
All images by Carz Nelson By CARZ NELSON “I’m happy to be open,” says Don Blyly, owner of twin bookstores Uncle Hugo’s Science Fiction Bookstore and Uncle Edgar’s Mystery Bookstore - known collectively as “the Uncles”. When the bookstores were destroyed by looters during the George Floyd Uprising, many people assumed that Blyly would go into retirement and that would be the end of the Uncles. He smashed those expectations, relocating and rebuilding the stores in little more than two years. Blyly isn’t the only one glad to see the stores reopen. Naturally, the Uncles’ return is welcomed by their many fans in the city, the state, and around the world. Perhaps the most excited, however, is Echo - the store’s canine mascot. She has enthusiastically resumed her duties as store greeter. She’s sure to give you a wag of the tail if you stop by. The 5000 square foot building at 2716 East 31st Street is rich with character. Built in 1932, it features a WPA [...]
