Sandstone Essentia Contracts Ratified for 3-Years

SANDSTONE, Minn. — Essentia Health and Sandstone Nurses have finished ratifying their new three-year contract.

The new contract covers all 28 nurses and includes a cross-facility care model. This model ensures Sandstone nurses have the opportunity to pick-up shifts at other Essentia facilities to help meet patients needs. Nurses from other facilities are also able to fill-in shift needs at the Sandstone location.

The new agreement also looks to increase wages to those at the nearby Essentia-Moose Lake facility for the first year, then receive a 3.5% increase for the remaining two years.

“We’re thrilled that these valued nurses voted to approve this agreement, which recognizes the excellent work they do every day to care for our friends, family and neighbors across the region,” said Sam Barney, administrator at Essentia Health-Sandstone and Essentia Health-Moose Lake in a press release. “At the same time, the contract benefits our patients by preserving access to the kind of expert care they expect from Essentia, right in their backyard.”

Last month, Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association reached a tentative agreement on Sandstone nurses’ contracts. The contracts were officially ratified on Friday.