Minnesota Nurses Reach Agreement With More Metro Hospitals

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) says that more agreements have been made with metro hospitals.

On Wednesday, the nurses' union says tentative agreements on new three-year contracts have been made with Allina Health hospitals, including Abbott Northwestern, Mercy, Phillips Eye Institute, United, and Unity.

The nurses' negotiating committee is now recommending that MNA members ratify the agreement.

"Nurses are relieved to get this agreement," Angela Becchetti, a Registered Nurse at Abbott Northwestern and a member of the negotiating team, said. "Nurses' contract gains were almost exclusively focused on provisions that allow nurses to provide safer and higher quality patient care."

MNA says nurses will receive raises of 3%, 3% and 2.25% over three years, respectively. And, according to MNA, the biggest takeaway is workplace violence language "that meets and exceeds what other hospitals agreed to with their nurses."

MNA says nurses will no longer have to care for a patient who assaulted them and will get up to three days of pay for serious injuries before worker's compensation pay takes effect.

Allina nurses vote to ratify the agreement Thursday, June 27.