Hospitals

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In: Essentia, Home, Hospitals, Press Releases, Unions, Workplace violence prevention

(Brainerd, MN) – October 28, 2025 – Nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) are once again outraged and deeply concerned after two more violent assaults on nurses at Essentia Health. A nurse at Essentia Health St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Brainerd was attacked by a patient last Thursday, followed by another assault at the same facility over the weekend.

The latest incidents come less than two weeks after two nurses were injured at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth. Four nurses assaulted in under two weeks reflects a dangerous pattern in Essentia facilities—one that nurses have been warning about for years.
… Read more about: Four nurses in Two Weeks Assaulted at Essentia Hospitals: Nurses Say Violence is a Consequence of Unsafe Staffing and Inaction  »

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In: Duluth, Essentia, Home, Hospitals, Nurse Staffing, Nurses, Press Releases, Unsafe Staffing, Workplace violence prevention

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Diamond Palmer
612-741-0662
communications@mnnurses.org

(Duluth, MN) – October 16, 2025 – The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) is outraged and deeply saddened to learn that two nurses were assaulted by a patient at Essentia Health St. Mary’s Medical Center. Both nurses required treatment in the Emergency Department following the attack, and the patient was subsequently taken into custody.

This incident is not an isolated event—it is the tragic result of years of inaction and conditions that put staff and patients at risk at Essentia. Nurses and healthcare workers have repeatedly raised alarms about unsafe staffing levels and the growing threat of workplace violence.
… Read more about: Nurses Condemn Assault of Two Nurses at Essentia St. Mary’s Medical Center  »

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In: Action, Duluth, Essentia, Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Organizing, Press Releases, ULP Strike, Unions

Union Demands Immediate Action After Weeks of Silence from Management

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
651-269-1418
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

(Duluth, MN) – July 18, 2025 — Nurses at Essentia Health’s Superior and 3rd Street Clinics have reported multiple instances of threatening and retaliatory behavior by their direct supervisor. Despite formal notification to Essentia Health management on June 26, the employer has taken no public action and has not responded to the reports.

The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA), representing the affected nurses, is demanding the immediate cessation of this behavior and accountability from Essentia Health.
… Read more about: Nurses Report Threats of Physical Violence and Intimidation from Supervisor at Essentia Health Clinics  »

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In: Bargaining, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
651-269-1418
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

 

(St. Paul, MN) – July 14, 2025 – Thousands of nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) at hospitals across the Twin Cities metro and in Duluth finished voting today to ratify new contracts, concluding months of negotiations aimed at addressing staffing, patient care, retention and workplace conditions. These agreements mark the result of four months of focused negotiations, during which MNA nurses met hospital leaders at the table to demand accountability and uphold patient safety.

The contracts cover thousands of nurses across the following hospital systems: Allina Health, M Health Fairview, Essentia Health, Aspirus St.
… Read more about: Thousands of hospital nurses ratify new contracts across Twin Cities and Duluth  »

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In: Advanced Practice Providers, Bargaining, Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

Contact: Shannon Cunningham 
(c) 651-269-1418  
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org     

(Duluth, MN) – July 10, 2025 – On the third day of an ongoing Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike by nurses and healthcare workers at Essentia Health, Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) officially joined the walkout, escalating pressure on Essentia to stop violating federal labor law and begin bargaining in good faith. Picket lines expanded across Duluth and Superior, with a new line established in Virginia, Minnesota, as APPs took their place alongside striking clinic workers. 

Despite a clear ruling from the National Labor Relations Board that Essentia should begin bargaining with the APPs’ union, Essentia has continued to defy that order—refusing to meet, refusing to negotiate, and continuing to make unilateral changes to working conditions without bargaining. 
… Read more about: APPs join Essentia ULP strike as community support grows and pressure mounts on employer to bargain  »

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In: Bargaining, Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
(c) 651-269-1418
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

(Duluth, MN) – July 9, 2025 – On the second day of the ongoing unfair labor practice strike in Duluth and Superior, nurses and healthcare professionals across all six Essentia Health bargaining units arrived at negotiations prepared to make progress — only to be met with rejection and dismissal. Essentia Health barred most teams from participating, sending them back to the picket lines, while agreeing to negotiate with only Superior and Third Street Clinic representatives. No meaningful negotiations took place and no progress was made towards resolving the unfair labor practices.
… Read more about: Essentia nurses and healthcare workers turned away from bargaining by employer on second day of ULP strike, acute care nurses announce tentative agreement vote results  »

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In: Advanced Practice Providers, Bargaining, Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
651-269-1418
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

Lauren Bloomquist
651-376-9709
Lauren.Bloomquist@mnnurses.org

(Duluth, MN) – July 8, 2025 – Nurses and healthcare workers at multiple Duluth and Superior healthcare facilities began their Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike against Essentia Health today, with picket lines spread across the region. Despite their hospital nurse counterparts settling a tentative agreement with Essentia on July 4, Essentia refused to meet with the now striking workers at any of the additional seven bargaining dates provided by MNA prior to the ULP strike.
… Read more about: After successful first day on ULP strike, nurses and healthcare workers renew call for Essentia to negotiate in good faith and settle ULPs   »

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In: Advanced Practice Providers, Bargaining, Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing, Press Releases, ULP Strike

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
651-269-1418
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

 

(Duluth, MN) – July 4, 2025 – This morning, after countless hours at the bargaining table, Essentia Twin Ports acute care hospital nurses reached a tentative agreement with their employer. As part of the settlement, Essentia has resolved its Unfair Labor Practices with the nurses, averting a strike. Nurses will vote whether to ratify the agreement in the coming weeks.

Nurses achieved updates to staffing language, including a one-year freeze on reductions to current staffing ratios. Nurses also fought off Essentia’s Management Rights clause, protected Labor Management Committee language, and achieved a wage increase of 9.75% spread over the three years of the contract.
… Read more about: BREAKING: Essentia Twin Ports hospital nurses avert strike, reach deal; Clinic nurses and APPs continue toward ULP strike  »

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In: Advanced Practice Providers, Bargaining, Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nurses, Nursing, Press Releases, St. Lukes, ULP Strike, Uncategorized

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
651-269-1418
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

 

(Duluth, MN) – July 3, 2025 – Today, after months of contentious bargaining with hospital executives, nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) at Aspirus St. Luke’s hospital have pulled their 10-day strike notice and cancelled their Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike. Nurses negotiated for more than 30 straight hours leading to a pending tentative agreement, with minor details left to finalize early next week.

Nurses have agreed to cancel their ULP strike after significant movement was made across the bargaining table.
… Read more about: BREAKING: Aspirus St. Luke’s hospital nurses pull ULP strike notice with pending deal; Essentia nurses and APPs prepare for action  »

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In: Bargaining, Duluth, Duluth Bargaining, Essentia, Healthcare, Home, Hospitals, Labor Unions, Nursing, Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Shannon Cunningham
651-269-1418
Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

(Duluth, MN) — July 1, 2025 — In a move hospice nurses are calling “cruel and unnecessary,” Essentia Health has informed staff that it will suspend patient care at Solvay Hospice House beginning July 8, the same day an open-ended unfair labor practice (ULP) strike is set to begin across Duluth hospitals. The Minnesota Nurses Association has proposed seven bargaining dates in the week before the strike, but Essentia Health has not accepted a single date for Solvay Hospice House or its hospitals and clinics.

Solvay healthcare workers say these transfers are not being driven by a shortage of caregivers, but by Essentia’s refusal to engage in good faith bargaining with frontline healthcare workers at Solvay and across Duluth facilities.
… Read more about: Essentia Health is putting Duluth Hospice Patients in Jeopardy, Healthcare Workers Speak Out  »