SEIU Healthcare Minnesota hospital workers are uniting and taking a stand for their future. More than 200 members who work at Regina Medical Center begin a 2-day strike on Monday in the face of a proposed 50 percent cut to their pension and an increase in to overall healthcare costs.

The hospital workers walked picket lines and rallied outside Regina Medical Center in Hastings on Monday and Tuesday, with slogans on their signs such as, "All we want for Xmas is my pension saved," and "Keep our future secure."

 The current three-year contract expired at the end of October and contract talks are stalled with no sessions scheduled.

At a noon rally Monday, the strikers were joined by elected officials and members of other unions, including the Minnesota Nurses Association and Teamsters.

"With our country and our state facing difficult economic times, now is precisely the time for us to ensure that working families across Minnesota can afford to go to the doctor and can afford to retire with dignity," said Assistant Senate Majority Leader Tarryl Clark to Workday Minnesota.

"And to do that, employers need to keep their promises. I stand with striking Regina healthcare workers and encourage Regina to come back to the table so these workers can return to their patients. We need to find a different way to provide cost-effective care other than cutting pensions."

The union represents more than 14,000 health care workers across the state, including nursing assistants, physical therapy aides, x-ray aides, housekeepers, dietary workers, operating room aides, patient care technicians and other caregivers.