Essentia Deer River strike ends

After nearly 50 days on the picket line, representatives from the SEIU have announced an end to the strike at Essentia’s Deer River facility.

SEIU says the new contract, which was overwhelmingly approved by it’s membership on January 26, “significantly improved” on the offer made by Essentia before the strike.

“We are proud of the progress we made and that Essentia came to the table to provide a better offer.” said Becky Shereck, a Radiologic Technologist at Deer River.

At 49 days, the strike by the 70 members at the facility was one of the longest in SEIU MN & IA history.

Gains made in the agreement include a 12% raise for all members across the 3 year contract, wage rate adjustment guarantees, and a new uniform allowance.

With the contract agreed upon, workers will return to work this week.

Following the agreement, Essentia gave the following statement to WDIO:

“We are pleased to reach an agreement that keeps health care sustainable for our patients across the region while continuing to provide excellent pay and benefits for our colleagues in Deer River. We recognize these were difficult negotiations that highlighted the many challenges facing rural health care. At Essentia, we have a responsibility to negotiate contracts that are fair and equitable while also ensuring access to expert care in the communities we serve. We are grateful for the many contributions of these team members, who help us fulfill our mission of making a healthy difference in people’s lives every day.”