BREAKING: Twin Cities nurses avert strike, reach deal; Duluth prepares for action  

(St. Paul, MN) – July 3, 2025 – After nearly four months of contentious bargaining with hospital executives while continuing to provide high-quality care and escalating pressure at the bedsides, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) in the Twin Cities Metro region have reached a tentative agreement with their hospital employers, have resolved the Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) as part of the settlement, and successfully avoided a ULP strike. 

In a moment when unions across the country are under attack and organizing is being met with hostility from corporate and political leaders alike, MNA nurses stood strong. They boldly organized in defense of their contract, their profession, and their patients—fighting off a litany of concessions even under immense pressure. 

While the settlement includes a range of updates and changes from the 2022 contract, highlights include new language to implement Minnesota’s new break law, tools to address workplace violence, a 3% raise in the first year, a 4% raise in the second, and a 3% raise in the third. Nurses faced an uphill battle this year due to significant financial constraints in hospital budgets, largely driven by impending federal Medicaid cuts long signaled as part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” federal spending act. In one year alone, Minnesota could lose up to $500 million due to federal Medicaid cuts. Around 20% of Minnesotans rely on Medicaid to access care.  

Nurses were able to successfully fight off employer concessions and secure language to move the contract forward — including issues like safety and patient care. These gains enabled nurses to reach a final agreement. Nurses remain committed to holding hospitals accountable for maintaining high standards of care, regardless of impending cuts to Medicaid.  

“Nurses have always said this fight isn’t just about contracts, it’s about safe care,” said MNA President Chris Rubesch, RN. “We heard from our members loud and clear: staffing levels were the number one priority in these negotiations, for the first time ahead of wages, and it will continue to be a principal concern as we move forward caring for our patients in the future.” 

Though the Metro campaign has reached a tentative agreement and nurses will soon vote on whether to ratify the contract, the 2025 fight is not over. Nurses in Duluth are set to go out on a ULP strike on July 8, continuing the call for the employers to bargain in good faith. Advanced Practice Providers are set to join them on July 10. 

The 2025 Campaign and What Comes Next 

The 2025 bargaining campaign launched in March, with negotiations covering over 15,000 nurses across the Twin Cities and Duluth. Contract talks took place with seven major hospital systems: 

• Allina Health 
• Aspirus St. Luke’s  
• Children’s Minnesota 
• Essentia Health 
• M Health Fairview  
• HealthPartners 
• North Memorial Health 

From the outset, nurses centered this year’s campaign on patient safety and staffing levels. In MNA polling conducted in April, 88% of Minnesotans supported safe staffing as a core demand, and nearly half cited it as their top priority.  

Throughout the campaign, nurses exposed how corporate hospital executives continue to cut staffing even as patient needs continue to grow. These unsafe decisions have led to increased injuries, workplace violence, and nurse turnover. 

“We’ve been fighting an uphill battle,” said Rubesch. “The campaign may be over for now in the Metro, but the fight for safe staffing and patient care is far from over.” 

Although Metro nurses have concluded their 2025 contract campaign, MNA continues to organize across the state to make hospitals safer. That includes legislative advocacy, public education, and community mobilization. As the Duluth strike looms, MNA calls on all Minnesotans to stand with the nurses fighting to protect every patient.