Health care union members on Tuesday voted to authorize a strike at HealthPartners’ Stillwater Medical Group.

Ninety-nine percent of the SEIU Healthcare MN & IA union members who voted on Tuesday supported an Unfair Labor Practice strike if the bargaining team cannot reach a deal, union members said in a statement.

“This is not a position we take lightly, but we are ready to stand united to earn the contract language we deserve,” said Ellie Hilton, a provider assistant at HealthPartners SMG clinic and member of the union’s bargaining team. “The wages the employer is offering us are, frankly, insulting. Even for our highest paid members, they’re talking about increases that are less than 70 cents per year in their most recent pass.”

A HealthPartners’ spokesman said: “Our colleagues represented by SEIU Healthcare are a valuable part of our team. We’re committed to reaching a fair and financially responsible agreement with the union. In the event of a strike, we’re prepared to continue delivering the same high-quality care and experience our patients expect from us.”

The union consists of more than 80 workers including licensed practical nurses, certified medical assistants and other service-unit healthcare positions in the family medicine, OB/GYN, pediatrics and specialties departments at the clinic.

The two sides are set to bargain on Thursday. If the union decides to call a strike, they have to file a 10-day notice.

— Mary Divine

Police: Overdoses kill 5 in past week

The Rochester Police Department is investigating five suspected overdose deaths in the past week.

According to police, the incidents include:

On June 17, around 1:15 a.m., officers were dispatched to an apartment building on the 1500 block of Third Avenue Northeast for a disturbance. Upon arrival, they discovered two deceased females and one deceased male on the floor inside an apartment.

On June 13 around 9:30 a.m., officers were dispatched to a residence on the 3500 block of Eighth Street Northwest on a report of a male not breathing. Lifesaving measures were unsuccessful.

On June 13, around 4:45 a.m., a deceased male was located outside an apartment building on the 400 block of 31st Street.

Preliminary investigation indicates that narcotics containing fentanyl may have been a contributing factor in these deaths, police said.

“Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives,” Police Chief Jim Franklin said in a statement. “These tragic deaths are a stark reminder of the potential consequences of illegal narcotics. RPD is aggressively working to identify and arrest those responsible for distributing deadly drugs in our community.”

— Forum News Service

In post, Florida A.G. says to deport Omar

Florida’s attorney general responded to a Minnesota congresswoman’s criticisms of the Trump administration by calling on Tuesday for her deportation.

James Uthmeier posted “Denaturalize and Deport” on X in response to a video of Rep. Ilhan Omar condemning President Donald Trump’s organization of a military parade last Saturday. She encouraged people to participate in protests.

“The military are in our streets without any regard for people’s constitutional rights,” Omar said in the video, “while our president is spending millions of dollars propping himself up like a failed dictator.”

Omar’s office declined to comment.

Omar was born in Somalia and came to the United States as a refugee in the 1990s, becoming the first African refugee and Muslim woman to be elected to Congress in 2019, as a Democrat. She is a naturalized citizen.

Omar’s origins have been a routine bull’s-eye for Republicans in Trump’s orbit, including Trump himself. And it’s not the first time a Florida official has made her a target. While running for president, Gov. Ron DeSantis also called for her deportation in January of 2024, responding to reports that Omar had told people in Somali that she was “Somali first, Muslim second” — Omar later said this was a mistranslation of her remarks.

Uthmeier was DeSantis’ presidential campaign manager at the time.

In February, DeSantis appointed Uthmeier attorney general to fill the post left open by Ashley Moody, now a U.S. senator. He is seeking a full term next year.

— Miami Herald