Nurse contract negotiations heat up at Essentia Health in Duluth

Essentia nurses are nearing the end of their contract, and now negotiations between Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association are heating up. There have been 5 negotiation sessions, and there are only 3 planned sessions left.

MNA is drawing attention to staffing and says that having an enforceable standard would protect the quality of care that patients receive.

But Essentia is saying that an enforceable standard could get in the way of meeting the needs of patients. Tyler Jensen, the Director of Nursing at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center, explains, “The one thing about staffing is that it requires flexibility. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. It can’t be rigid. Day of, we staff to our patient needs, and we rely on our nurses to help guide that day of application for our staffing.”

Though MNA says the current staffing system isn’t working and that’s why experience nurses are choosing to leave the bedside.

In a statement, Chris Rubesch, an Essentia nurse and President of the Minnesota Nurses Association, said, “There is no nurse shortage—only a shortage of nurses willing to work in these conditions. Nurses aren’t leaving because the job is hard. They’re leaving because hospital executives are making it dangerous, and then calling it normal. We’ll keep fighting for safe staffing levels because it’s what our patients deserve—and we’re done asking quietly.”

MNA is also in negotiations at Aspirus-St. Luke’s in Duluth and Twin Cities hospitals.