The striking union members are spread out from Duluth clinics to areas in western Wisconsin.
DULUTH, Minn. — More than 700 nurses and advanced practice providers are returning to work Wednesday in Northeast Minnesota and Wisconsin after a 13-day strike at Essentia Health facilities.
Nurses went on strike at Essentia 1st Street, 2nd Street, 3rd Street and Superior Clinics, Miller Surgery Center, and Solvay Hospice House. Advanced practice providers went on strike at 69 facilities across the area, according to a press release Tuesday from the Minnesota Nurses Association union.
Union members will return to work Wednesday as Essentia Health added negotiating dates and combined four groups of clinic nurses into one negotiating block.
“For too long, outpatient care has been treated like an afterthought,” said Dana Bukovich, an RN and union member at Essentia’s Superior Clinic. “We’ve made it clear that patients in clinics deserve the same safe standards as patients in hospitals—and we won’t stop until they get them.”
In a press release Tuesday, Essentia Health called the strike "premature" in the bargaining process.
“Throughout often challenging and complex conversations, Essentia’s bargaining team has been dedicated, disciplined and principled in their time negotiating with MNA leadership," said Rhonda Kazik, chief nurse executive at Essentia. "We look forward to the shared work ahead to advance our mission to make a healthy difference in people’s lives.”
The Minnesota Nurses Association filed unfair labor practice charges against Essentia, and the union clarified that those charges remain unresolved.
Essentia Health shared in its statement Tuesday that the union is proposing that more than 400 advanced practice providers form a single bargaining unit. Essentia Health officials shared concerns that if that many providers decided to strike at once, it could be damaging to patient care.
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