‘Essentia East Market’ Healthcare Workers Want To Unionize
DULUTH, Minn. – Essentia healthcare workers have announced their filing to join the Minnesota Nurses Association.
The healthcare workers wanting to unionize include nurse practitioners, physician associates, nurse midwives, and clinical nurse specialists.
They’re part of what’s called the Essentia East Market, which extends from Brainerd north to International Falls and Duluth, and east to Ashland and Hayworth, Wisconsin.
The workers believe a collective voice will help address what they call issues in the workplace, including better compensation, work-life balance and patient loads.
“I believe that unionizing will give us the collective voice to advocate for necessary changes in our working conditions so that we can bring our best selves to work each day, and for protection against policies that are harmful to staff and patient care. We want to provide excellent care because patients are more than just numbers to us,” said Kelly Higgins, a Physician Associate at Essentia Health in Duluth.
To watch the full press conference on the announcement, click here.
Meanwhile, Essentia Health released the following statement:
“Essentia Health is aware of the filing by the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) for an election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking to become the collective bargaining representative for some advanced practice providers in Essentia’s East Market. We feel maintaining a direct relationship is the right choice for these Essentia providers. We are currently reviewing the petition and will act in good faith throughout the process.
Essentia Health values the important role that all of our providers play in delivering high-quality patient care. We are committed to fostering an excellent work environment based on our values, which include quality, respect, stewardship and teamwork. In the coming weeks, we will follow the law and share information with our Essentia colleagues to help them make an informed, personal choice about unionization.”
