[naviga:h3]Nurses begin strike over impasse[/naviga:h3]

MINNEAPOLIS — About 4,800 nurses at five Minneapolis-area hospitals began a weeklong strike Sunday over a contract impasse.

Members of the Minnesota Nurses Association began striking at 7 a.m. at the hospitals, all operated by Allina Health. The main dispute is over Allina’s effort to switch union nurses to the same health insurance plans as more than 30,000 other Allina employees that carry lower monthly premiums but higher out-of-pocket costs.

No new contract talks are scheduled. The nurses’ current contract expired May 31.

The union’s president, Mary Turner, said Sunday that members would demonstrate for 12 hours a day outside of each of the five hospitals.

Allina plans to keep the facilities operating with replacement nurses. Spokesman David Kanihan said the initial transition to replacement nurses has gone smoothly, and the hospitals were functioning as planned with patient volumes consistent with normal levels for a Sunday in June.

Nurses rejected Allina’s latest contract offer and authorized a strike earlier this month, contending the proposal would shift too much of the company’s health care costs to the nurses. The company says the move would encourage more frugal use of health care, cutting its costs by $10 million a year.

[naviga:h3]Average price of gas levels off[/naviga:h3]

CAMARILLO, Calif. — The average price of gasoline has leveled off to $2.37 for a gallon of regular unleaded.

Industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday that the price dropped nearly a penny since peaking two weeks ago. The slight decline came after nearly three months of rising prices.

Lundberg says the price of crude, ample supplies and a strong refining capacity probably will lead to further price declines at the pump.

The highest average price for regular gasoline in the Lower 48 was $2.90 a gallon in the San Francisco Bay Area. The lowest was $1.99 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.