St. Luke’s Nurses File Notice to Strike

DULUTH, Minn. – Nurses at St. Luke’s Hospital have filed a 10-day notice that they intend to hold a one-day strike on October 3, according to the Minnesota Nurses Association.

The nurses will try again to reach an agreement on a new three-year contract with the hospital on September 20. MNA says if an agreement is not reached by 7:00 a.m. on October 3, they will strike and picket the hospital.

“The nurses’ bargaining team has been meeting with hospital management for four months already,” said Pete Boyechko, a St. Luke’s nurse and member of the negotiating team. “We’ve made it very clear, St. Luke’s needs to offer competitive wages and benefits to recruit and retain enough nurses for safe patient care.”

According to the MNA, the union has filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against St. Luke’s for unfair bargaining and alleges the hospital has prohibited discussions about union contracts from the nurse’s station area and removed union literature from workplaces among other complaints.

“We hope to come to a fair agreement,” Boyechko said. “Nobody wants to go on strike, but we already have a staffing crisis at St. Luke’s. Nurses will do what we have to do to ensure St. Luke’s holds on to its nurses who deliver top-notch patient care every single day and night.”

The previous contract expired on June 30.

St. Luke’s released the following statement Monday evening:

We entered this year’s negotiation with the goal of achieving a fair and safe contract, by any local, regional or national comparison. Our most recent proposal to MNA leadership achieves this – wage increases that match local and metro-area hospitals, as well as extra shift bonuses, higher pay for nurse mentors and student loan reimbursement.

The strike notification by the MNA has set in motion the contingency plans St. Luke’s has in place to maintain continuity of care by bringing in replacement nurses to care for our patients. The high, non-recoverable costs of these contingency plans will likely force St. Luke’s to fundamentally reconsider, and possibly reduce, the breadth of services we provide. The decision to strike – even for one day – will be definitive.

St. Luke’s and the MNA will return to the table this Friday. We remain hopeful for and committed to constructive talks, solution-seeking and transparency. The intent-to-strike notice by the MNA does not change our commitment to this process or our desire to reach an agreement that is fair and safe for all involved.

Kevin Nokels, FACHE

St. Luke’s President & CEO