Armed with massive picket signs, steely resolve, and — for some — heavy hearts, the 12 000-member strong MNA union officially went on strike today in the Twin Cities. The first nursing walkout since 2001, and the largest such strike in history — the action comes as no agreement could be reached among the 14 metro area hospitals and their nursing employees on matters as crucial as patient staffing and incremental pay raises.

Local media is all over over the story, which of course, includes live-blogging and Twitter and Facebook feeds. The area hospitals have been preparing for this for weeks — canceling all non-emergent elective procedures, shoring up physician coverage, and making sure the immense cadre of replacement nurses hits the ground running. | LINK

UPDATE: Strike coverage by local hospitals is immediately put to the test, as a fight in a Minneapolis suburb results in one stabbing death and transport to local hospitals for other injured patients needing emergency surgery. | LINK

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