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4,800 nurses employed by 5 of Allina Health's Minneapolis hospitals (Abbott Northwestern, Phillips Eye Institute, United, Unity, and Mercy) began an open ended strike on Labor Day. The nurses, who are represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association, are fighting for health insurance, workplace safety and staffing levels. The strike erupted after meetings between the two parties and federal mediators lasted 22 hours on Friday and ended in a stalemate. This is the second time this year that the nurses have gone on strike, with the first taking place for an entire week in June after their contracts originally expired. Allina Health claims that the strike will not effect patient care and the business, but the union's June strike cost the company $20.4 million, primarily driven by the high cost of employing replacement nurses.