Duluth hospital nurses reached a tentative agreement with Essentia Health on Friday morning, avoiding a strike for as many as 2,000 medical professionals.
The union said the deal includes a 9.75% increase in wages over a three year period and a one-year freeze on reductions to staffing ratios. Nurses will vote on the agreement in coming weeks, according to a news release.
The deal comes one day after the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) and nine Twin Cities’ hospitals reached tentative contract agreements. The union also called off a planned strike at Aspirus St. Luke’s in Duluth when it came close to a deal on Thursday.
MNA President Chris Rubesch, who is a nurse at Essentia Health, said in a news release Friday that the union is “recommitting to the fight for safe nurse-to-patient staffing ratios.”
“Our fight has never been just about contracts. It’s about patient care and these wins will enable us to provide that care more safely than before,” he said.
Rhonda Kazik, chief nurse executive at Essentia, said in a statement that she was proud of her fellow nurses on both sides of the negotiations for finding a resolution.
“Nurses are called to this profession because they want to care for others, and we’re grateful to have some of the best in the profession here at Essentia Health,” she said. “We have prioritized patient care throughout these negotiations and will continue to do so in every community we serve.”
Representatives for the union did not respond to immediate requests for comment. An Essentia Health spokesperson did not have any additional comments beyond the news release.
