Minnesota Nurses Push for Safer Staffing as Contracts Near Expiration

DULUTH, Minn. — The Minnesota Nurses Association, the union representing around 15,000 nurses across the state are pushing to ensure safe staffing.

This push comes as the current contracts between the MNA and seven hospital systems across the state come to end, including those of Aspirus St. Luke’s and Essentia Health nurses.

“In 2022 nurses fought hard to win some of the best staffing language in the state. We won the right to help create our staffing grids and even to vote upon them in order to pass them. Why, then, are we known among nurses across the state for being the worst staffed hospital,” Larissa Hubbartt, Aspirus St. Luke’s RN said.

At an informational picket in front of Asprius St. Luke’s on Wednesday, nurses called on the hospital to do better, for not only nurses, but the patients they serve.

“We can no longer work with the unsafe nurse to patient ratios that St Luke has forced us to work with. That’s why we are out here today. We are standing up for our community, for our patients, for you,” Megan Finnegan, Aspirus St. Luke’s RN said.

“Over the years, the amount of patients that I have taken care of has increased and the amount of help and resources from other staff has decreased. Now routinely, I take care of six to eight patients at night, twice as much as 10 years ago,” Andrea Rubesch, Aspirus St. Luke’s RN said.

Officials at Aspirus St. Luke’s and Essentia Health say the MNA has yet to share a full proposal of its new demands, which would include wages and other benefits.

“Union leadership has had six weeks to share their full economic proposal with us. We’re still waiting,” Dr. Nicholas Van Deelen, President of Minnesota Region for Aspirus said.

Aspirus St. Luke’s says it wants to avoid another strike and keep the focus on providing care for the region and ensuring fair negotiations.

“We will provide care for our patients, no matter what the circumstance, we did it three years ago. If there’s a strike, we will do it again. We certainly hope there’s not a strike. We don’t see any reason for that, and we think that’s actually very dangerous for the patients of Minnesota,” said Van Deelen.

At Essentia Health, officials say the union has not yet responded to the full proposal Essentia delivered during the first session on April 11.

“Unfortunately today was actually one of the days we had offered to the MNA as one of our initial dates to negotiate and so again out message is that, you know, we are willing and able, and ready to come to a resolution and have agreements at the bargaining table because we know that’s where solutions are made,” Tyler Jensen, Essentia Health Director of Nursing said.

As for the response to staffing concerns, both hospital systems say staffing decisions are driving by patient needs, and not defined to numbers.

The current contract ends on June 30, allowing for over three weeks for the new contract to be agreed upon.