Minnesota nurses reach tentative deals with nearly all hospitals ahead of strike
MINNEAPOLIS -- Minnesota nurses have reached tentative agreements with nearly all hospitals to avert a planned strike later this month.
The Minnesota Nurses Association called the agreements a "historic win" for both nurses and patients, saying the agreements include unprecedented language to address staffing shortages. The nurses union also says it includes a large pay increase of 18% over the next three years for Twin Cities nurses and 17% for Duluth-area nurses over the next three years.
"For years, hospital executives have been pushing nurses out of the profession by under-staffing our units and under-valuing our nurses. This tentative agreement will help to keep nurses at the bedside, where we will keep fighting to oppose the corporate healthcare policies which threaten our hospital systems and the care our patients deserve," MNA President Mary Turner said.
St. Luke's Lake View Hospital in Two Harbors is the last holdout as contract negotiations are still ongoing. The next negotiating session is set for Friday.
"Lake View will continue our strong tradition of working collaboratively with the MNA to reach an agreement that is fair to all of our stakeholders, including our patients, community, and our entire Lake View team," the hospital said in a statement.
The hospitals with tentative agreements include Children's Minnesota, North Memorial, Allina Health, M Health Fairview, HealthPartners, Essentia Health and St. Luke's.
With flu season already far ahead of normal, Becky Goettl feels better knowing she and her 5-year-old daughter Blakely will be able to get care if needed.
It was something she was worried about last week when the nurses union voted to strike.
"I'm relieved," said Goettl. "We rely on those nurses."
Goettl comes from a family of healthcare workers and she believes the staffing shortage will solve itself with more pay on the table.
"The reason you're having a shortage is truly because of pay," said Goettl, "I'm glad that [staffing shortage issues] is in the language, but even if it wouldn't have been, with that pay increase that they deserve, it's just going to be so much better for everybody."
Read some statements from hospitals below:
Allina Health
We are pleased to announce that Allina Health and Minnesota Nurses Association reached a tentative agreement early this morning. The settlement, which the union is recommending, is now subject to ratification by union membership," Allina said in a statement. "Allina Health is pleased with the settlement, which reflects the priorities of both parties and is fair and equitable to our employees, patients and communities. We are thankful to be able to return our full attention to caring for the community at this time of increased illness and demand.
Children's Minnesota
Children's Minnesota is grateful to have reached a tentative agreement with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA). As a condition of the agreement, the pending strike notice at Children's Minnesota has been rescinded. The union must still ratify the deal. A vote is expected to happen this week. The union's bargaining team is unanimously, favorably recommending this contract for ratification.
Thanks to the tireless work of our negotiation team and countless others, patients and families across our region can rest assured that our kid experts will be there to care for the most vulnerable children in our community. We value the dedication of our nurses and countless other staff for the vital roles they play in caring for our patient families.
Essentia Health
Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) have reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract covering about 1,300 nurses who care for patients at our hospitals in Duluth and Superior. This positive outcome is the result of hard work at the bargaining table.
As part of the agreement, the MNA agreed to withdraw its strike notice.
The MNA will share details of the tentative agreement with its membership and conduct a ratification vote by Dec. 12. The MNA bargaining committee unanimously agreed to recommend ratification.
At Essentia, we are privileged to have skilled, compassionate nurses, and we value their contributions to make a healthy difference in people's lives. Thanks go to all our colleagues for the teamwork demonstrated as we have been preparing for a potential work stoppage. We appreciate the efforts of the negotiating teams to reach a resolution, allowing us all to continue focusing on providing high-quality patient care to the communities we are privileged to serve.
Twin Cities Hospitals
Twin Cities Hospitals Group hospital systems have all reached tentative agreement with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) on three-year agreements. The tentative agreements will be recommended for ratification by the MNA leadership and remain subject to ratification vote by MNA membership. Vote dates have not been set.
The tentative agreement includes a wage increase of 18 percent over three years and other contract enhancements, including staffing provisions designed to help recruit and retain nurses.
"The new tentative agreement shows that when we work together, we can develop staffing language that meets the unique needs of our hospitals, our nurses, and most importantly, our patients," said Twin Cities Hospitals Group spokesman Paul Omodt. "Hospital environments are dynamic and this agreement will help ensure that our patients continue to receive excellent care."
With the tentative agreements, the MNA has withdrawn its strike notice at Twin Cities Hospitals Group hospitals including Children's Minnesota, North Memorial, Methodist, and Fairview's West and East campuses.
Patients who had procedures postponed over the past few days should contact their care provider to reschedule.
For more information, please visit www.twincitieshospitals.com.
The nurses at those hospitals were part of thousands of healthcare workers with the MNA who voted to approve a strike last week.
The nurses also went on strike in September over what they call unfair labor practices; that strike went for three days. The union representing them says since they've been back to work, those practices are still happening and they haven't been able to negotiate a contract.
