Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

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

Duluth, MN – July 25, 2025 – On Tuesday, clinic nurses, surgery center nurses, healthcare workers at Solvay Hospice House, and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) concluded a powerful strike across Essentia Health facilities that involved nearly 700 frontline workers. The two-week strike by nurses and healthcare workers and 13-day strike by APPs brought statewide attention to Essentia’s unfair labor practices, including unlawful intimidation, surveillance, and clear attempts to bust the union. 

Yet, even after the strike’s end, Essentia is continuing to keep on travel nurses, when former striking healthcare workers are available and want to return to work. 
... Read more about: Negotiations move forward as Essentia delays return of striking workers  »

Contact: Shannon Cunningham

651-269-1418

Shannon.Cunningham@mnnurses.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Duluth, MN) – July 22, 2025 – Hundreds of frontline caregivers at Essentia Health will return to work following a powerful Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike. The group includes over 300 clinic nurses and 400 Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) who walked off the job to expose Essentia executives’ refusal to negotiate in good faith and their numerous ULPs, such as threats of violence against striking workers and interference in union activities. The two-week first contract ULP strike of clinic nurses and healthcare workers will end Wednesday morning.
... Read more about: Essentia Health clinic workers and Advanced Practice Providers end historic ULP strike  »

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  »

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  »

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  »

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  »

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   »

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  »

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  »

(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. 
... Read more about: BREAKING: Twin Cities nurses avert strike, reach deal; Duluth prepares for action    »