MNA Nurses Held an Informational Picket Outside of Twin Ports Hospital’s

DULUTH, Minn. — Today, Twin Ports nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association Union marched with signs outside of the two largest hospitals in the area.

It’s not a strike, but an informational picket as their current contract is a little more than a week away from expiring. This, as Essentia Health and St. Luke’s say they are continuing negotiations in good faith.

The MNA President, Mary Turner stated, “you know when they say, you hear the little chant going nurses on the outside trouble on the inside that’s exactly what’s going on. ” She further explained, “we have over 100,000 nurses in Minnesota. We don’t have a shortage of nurses what we have is shortage of nurses who are willing to work in unfavorable conditions.”

Members marched with signs around St. Luke’s and Essentia Health Hospital’s. Many of the signs referred to a global nursing shortage, which the nurses here say has heavily increased since the pandemic. The Twin Ports nurses are proposing new contracts with better tuition rates, benefits, and pay-raise opportunities.

An RN at St. Luke’s, Larissa Hubbartt said that, “my goal is to provide not just adequate nursing care but to provide the best care possible and that’s what we’re all here for that’s the reason why we’re here we’re here because we want to take good care of our patients we want to have the staff here to be able to do that.”

Their first proposal was on April 28th and there have been 7 negotiation sessions since then. The MNA Union says two of their proposal elements have been accepted, while they say 23 have others have not yet been addressed.

Representatives with Essentia and St. Luke’s declined on-camera interviews, but did provide written statements.

St. Luke’s statement reads in part, “St. Luke’s has made, by any reasonable measure, a fair contract proposal that recognizes the contributions of our nurses while helping ensure that we can keep health care affordable and accessible. In fact, St. Luke’s is offering the most comprehensive staffing proposal on the negotiating table in the State of Minnesota.”

Essentia Health’s statement reads in part, “We are focusing on our discussions at the bargaining table because that is where solutions are found. Essentia will continue to negotiate in good faith, and we look forward to reaching a mutually beneficial agreement.”

The current contracts in place are set to expire at the end of this month.