Twin Cities, Duluth nurses ratify new contract addressing staffing, wage increases
Thousands of nurses in the Twin Cities and Duluth area voted to ratify a new contract after months of bargaining.
The Minnesota Nurses Association, which represents 15,000 nurses across 13 hospitals, says the new contract addresses staffing, workplace safety and fair wages. Twin Cities nurses will see a 10% raise over three years and Duluth-area nurses will see a 9.75% raise over three years.
The ratification puts and end to four months of negotiations, during which time thousands of nurses worked without a contract and the union voted to authorize an unfair labor practices strike. The union reached a tentative deal with health care providers on July 3, averting the strike.
The contract covers nurses at Allina Health, M Health Fairview, Essentia Health, Aspirus St. Luke's, HealthPartners Methodist and Children's Minnesota.
The Twin Cities Hospitals Group, along with Aspirus St. Luke's issued the following statement:
"Today, our hospitals have moved forward with a new contract with our nurses' union that recognizes our nurses with a 10 percent wage increase over three years, keeping Minnesota nurses among the highest paid in the country. We also introduced contract changes that enable greater innovation and flexibility in patient care and hospital operations. Our goal remains to provide high-quality, affordable patient care, and we remain mindful of the dynamic and ever-changing nature of healthcare, which requires all of us to bring our best to those we serve."
