Allina, nurses were so close, yet far from deal

Bleary-eyed from 22 hours of contract talks, leaders for Allina Health and its union hospital nurses appeared to be just one big issue away from agreement when they halted negotiations at 6 a.m. on Sept. 3. Forty-eight hours later the nurses hit the picket lines. Now, as the strike enters its second week, neither side has even reached out to restart talks, which have been stalled for weeks in a stubborn disagreement over health insurance costs.