Six hundred Allina doctors, physician assistants and nurse practitioners who work in primary care are asking for a new contract with more work-life balance.

They gathered in the pouring rain Tuesday morning for a first-of-its-kind protest. 

"We are here together as a result of many years of fighting, fighting for primary care and fighting to make things better," workers chanted. 

While nurses have walked the picket line for years, these picketers are doctors, PA's and nurse practitioners who are admittedly higher compensated.

"We all get paid really well, its not about that. It's about having better support for our patients and support in our community and that we want a fair treatment in our contract and protections for everybody," said Dr. Chris Filetti, a pediatrician with Allina Health.

The workers are asking for paid sick leave, instead of having to use vacation time. They're also asking for four hours a week to finish paperwork, instead of doing it in their off time. Additionally, they're asking for more medical assistants and nurses for support. 

"As a provider I hear story after story about providers who have to cut back from practice because of poor work-life balance," said Filetti.

Allina's leaders say they are listening despite the unsettled contract, telling WCCO in a statement: 

"We continue to negotiate in good faith to reach responsible agreements that maintain competitive pay and benefits for our providers while ensuring that we can sustain our caring mission during these extremely uncertain economic times. It is important to get it right.  We remain committed to reaching fair agreements that ensure we can maintain access to the high-quality care people depend on."

• Protest
• Minneapolis