Mayo Clinic Nurses, City of Rochester Readying for Protest March Monday Morning, Impacts to Commute Possible

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News)- Nurses from the Mayo Clinic and officials with the City of Rochester are preparing for a protest march that’s scheduled to occur on Monday morning. 

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The march coincides with the first day of National Nurses Week, which is happening May 6-May 12. The event is being organized by a group called the Med City Nurses Alliance. 

The organization’s website describes the alliance as, “a nonprofit proposed Independent Union created for the betterment of all nurses serving the patients at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.” 

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Organizers are planning to start the march at 6:00 Monday morning at St. Mary’s Hospital on 2nd St. Southwest. The demonstration will then proceed east towards the downtown and end on the Peace Plaza near the Mayo Methodist campus. 

Members of the public are welcome to attend the march, which organizers are describing at a peaceful protest. The demonstration will happen rain or shine, according to the group’s website. 

Sherry Wolf, who is the Chief Nursing Officer for Mayo Clinic in Rochester, issued the following statement regarding the march:

We are aware of the planned public walk on May 6. Plans are in place to help reduce potential travel delays for our staff and patients trying to get to work and appointments. We encourage staff and patients to allow additional travel time.

May 6 marks the beginning of National Nurses Week. We are grateful for and support our nurses who play an important role in providing excellent care to our patients every day. We have many activities planned across Mayo Clinic to celebrate and thank our nurses.

-Sherry Wolf, Chief Nursing Officer, Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Traffic & Transit Disruptions Possible in Rochester Monday Morning

A spokeswoman for the City of Rochester is asking motorists and Rochester Public Transit (RPT) riders to prepare for potential impacts to Monday morning’s commute. 

Officials say the eastbound lanes of 2nd St. Southwest could be closed from 6:30-7 a.m. depending on the size of the group. 

The Rochester Police Department is planning to dispatch officers to the march route to provide traffic control. RPT trips that arrive at St. Mary’s and the Downtown Transit Center are expected to be delayed. 

Riders seeking the downtown and the hospital are asked to take the earlier trip and anticipate delays in the transit system throughout the morning commute, officials say.

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