Posts Tagged ‘Allina Health Systems’
Allina Builds Abbott Northwestern Hospital Utility Plant Before Getting Air Emissions Permit
Public Comment Period on Permit Opening this Fall Abbott Northwestern Hospital's Central Utility Plant under construction at E 26th Street and Chicago Avenue. According to MN Rule 7005.0100 Subp. 3a, activities that should not be started before an air emissions permit is issued include “installing building supports and foundations, laying underground pipework, and constructing permanent storage structures.” Photo by Ben Heath By LINDSEY FENNER If you’ve driven on E 26th Street through Phillips this past summer, you’ve likely gone past the construction site at 26th and Chicago where Allina Health is building a new Central Utility Plant for Abbott Northwestern Hospital. Besides the traffic headache this has created, the bigger problem is that Allina has started construction on the utility plant before getting the final air emissions permit from the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Allina Health, which owns Abbott Northwestern Hospital and has their corporate headquarters in the Midtown building in Phillips, applied for the required amendment to their existing air permit in February 2021. In their application, Allina acknowledged the need for the final permit before construction on the new facility could begin. According to MN Rule 7005.0100 Subp. 3a, activities that should not be started before a permit is issued include “installing building supports and foundations, laying underground pipework, and constructing permanent storage structures.” In an interview with MPCA air permit engineer Jeff Hedman, who has been working on the draft permit, said he had not been aware that Allina had started construction of the utility plant until it was brought to MPCA’s attention by the alley. They have referred the issue to their enforcement staff and would not comment further. According to Hedman, “Enforcement decisions are made on a case-by-case basis depending on the facts of the situation.” MN Rule 7005.0100 Subp. 3a states that [...]
Allina Moving Phillips Eye Institute, Reducing Services and Staff
By Lindsey Fenner Allina Health has announced they are moving the Phillips Eye Institute (PEI) out of it’s building at 2215 Park Avenue in February 2022. Both in-patient and out-patient eye care will be moved into the Abbott Northwestern Hospital Campus, which is undergoing a $199 million renovation and rebuilding project. The move will also mean a reduction in staff. Allina did not respond to questions about how many staff positions will be lost, but said in a statement that they are “committed to working closely with employees impacted by the transition to provide support and direction for future job opportunities within the Allina Health system.” Allina did not provide any information on the future of the PEI building and the nearly 2 acre site in the Phillips West neighborhood. In a statement, they said “Allina Health is committed to working with our community partners to determine the best future use of the PEI building.” As of mid-November, Allina had not contacted the Phillips West Neighborhood Organization about the move or the future of the PEI campus. In reporting by WCCO Channel 4 TV, Phillips Eye Institute workers represented by SEIU Healthcare MN, said the union was not notified about the decision to move PEI or reduce staffing. The Phillips Eye Institute was founded in 1987 as part of the adjacent former Mount Sinai Hospital and is the second largest eye specialty hospital in the United States. It is named after Jay Phillips, local Jewish philanthropist and businessman who was instrumental in the founding of Mount Sinai Hospital. Mount Sinai Hospital closed in 1991, and the hospital campus is now home to Hope Academy private school.
Random alley Labor News
By LINDSEY FENNER Random Alley Labor News By Lindsey Fenner Strike Averted at Allina: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) healthcare workers at Allina, which includes Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Phillips Eye Institute in Phillips, reached a last-minute tentative agreement with Allina Health. Workers had been set to strike on May 10 if an agreement wasn”™t reached in time. Issues during contract negotiations included pay, and health and safety concerns. Boycott of Marathon and Speedway Gas Stations Called for as Lockout at Refinery Continues: The MN AFL-CIO has endorsed a boycott of Marathon and Speedway gas stations as the lockout of workers at the St. Paul Park Marathon Refinery enters its fifth month. Members of Teamsters Local 120 were locked out by Marathon after a one-day strike in January. Workers have been fighting against staffing cuts and changes that they are worried will make the refinery more dangerous. The Marathon Refinery is one of about 50 refineries in the United States that still uses hydrogen fluoride, a highly toxic chemical. According to Marathon filings with the Environmental Protection Agency, an explosion at the refinery could create a toxic cloud that could travel 19 miles and impact 1.7 million people. Teamsters and allies have been spreading the word about the boycott and safety issues at the Marathon Refinery with pickets at gas stations supplied by the refinery. Upcoming Labor Education Class from the U of MN”™s Labor Education Service: Bargaining from Margin to Center, Thursday, June 3, 1:00pm - 4:00pm. Union members can use the collective bargaining process to center the needs and concerns of historically marginalized people (people of color, queer and trans people, disabled people, immigrants, etc.). This course will provide participants with skills and strategies to prioritize gains for historically marginalized people in your collective bargaining process. Cost: $50 [...]
Labor News
By LINDSEY FENNER By Lindsey Fenner International Workers Day March | Marcha en el Dia Internacional de lxs trabajadores May 1: May 1st is International Workers”™ Day, and the Twin Cities Labor Movement will be marching, Saturday, May 1, 2021 at 2 PM, Minneapolis. Gather at Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue. The organizers demand: Labor Rights! Justice for Essential Workers! Immigrants Rights! Immigration Reform Now! Stop Police Brutality! Climate Justice Now! Stop Line 3! Derechos laborales Justicia para lxs trabajadores esenciales Derechos para lxs inmigrantes Reforma migratoria ya Alto a la brutalidad policial Justicia climática ya -- alto a la Linea 3 Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Deadline June 1: Nellie Stone Johnson was a fierce advocate for workers, folks of color, and the power of education. The Nellie Stone Johnson Scholarship Program provides financial assistance to racial minority union members and their families who wish to pursue an education at one of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Scholarships ranging from up to $1200 for part time and up to $2500 for full time are given each year to students enrolled in community or technical college, along with undergraduate and graduate programs. For more: http://www.nelliestone.org/scholarship-program Healthcare Workers at Allina authorize strike: At the end of March, 4,000 workers represented by Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare MN overwhelmingly voted to authorize an Unfair Labor Practices Strike against Allina Healthcare, if the two sides cannot reach a deal. Workers at Allina, which includes Abbott Northwestern Hospital and Phillips Eye Institute in the Phillips neighborhood, have been in contract negotiations with Allina since January. According to SEIU, continuing issues are Allina”™s 0% pay increase offer and refusal to address health and safety concerns. As of press time, SEIU workers have not yet gone on strike, but [...]
At the center of all of our work is our Definition of Health
Health is a state of physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being. It is not only the absence of infirmity and disease. Health is the state of balance, harmony, and connectedness within and between many systems ”“ the body, the family, the community, the environment, and culture. It cannot be seen only in an individual context. Health is an active state of being; people must be active participants to be healthy. It cannot be achieved by being passive. This issue of The Alley Newspaper is largely dedicated to reflecting the voices and the activities over the past year of the Backyard Initiative. Each of 12 CHAT teams have contributed their own stories and photos.
