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. Caregivers at Solvay have been seeking a fair contract for nearly a year.
“Both patients and healthcare workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect by Essentia leadership,” said Kim Volkart, a nurse at Solvay Hospice House. “Relocating patients and shutting down end-of-life care in response to our strike notice — rather than choosing to bargain in good faith — makes Essentia’s priorities painfully clear.”
Solvay’s frontline staff have received no new bargaining dates prior to the planned strike, leaving no clear path to avoid this disruption. In recent weeks, Essentia has offered the same bargaining dates to multiple Duluth bargaining units, who do not have the capacity to show up to simultaneous sessions. This has forced cancellations and delays, instead of solutions.
What’s Next?
The Minnesota Nurses Association will continue to push for a Essentia to resolve their current Unfair Labor Practice charges and return to negotiations ahead of the July 8 strike. If Essentia leadership refuses to come to the table, healthcare workers are prepared to move forward with an open-ended ULP strike to defend their rights and protect the patients they serve.
