Hundreds of nurses with the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) held an informational picket today at North Memorial Health Maple Grove Hospital to highlight their ongoing contract fight with hospital leadership. Nurses were joined by community allies and elected officials.
Over a year ago, nearly 600 Maple Grove nurses voted to unionize. Since May 2025, nurses at Maple Grove have been bargaining with hospital leaders for a fair first contract that respects and retains nurses.
Hospital leaders have dismissed nurses’ calls and refuse to align Maple Grove with other union hospitals in the Metro—including the one in their own system, North Memorial Robbinsdale.
“Today we reminded hospital leaders that Maple Grove nurses are standing together for a fair first contract,” said TJ Zyskowski, RN. “We cannot keep the status quo. We are fighting for a contract that provides affordable healthcare, sustainable schedules, retirement benefits like a pension, and real investment in recruiting and retaining skilled nurses.”
Right now, Maple Grove Hospital is struggling far more than its sister hospital, North Memorial Robbinsdale, to recruit and retain nurses. Nurses say the key difference is the presence of a union contract and benefits.
According to recent hospital data, Maple Grove has seen a 33% turnover rate in its nursing workforce the last three years, increasing costs and creating retention issues for the hospital—both of which impact patient care.
“Maple Grove nurses are fighting to stay in this community. Our hospital needs to fight for us and for patients. Instead, for years, nurses here have been expected to rely on promises and well-wishes instead of a real contract,” said Julie Noor, RN and member of the Negotiating Team. “Nurses can’t build a future on well-wishes. Real change only happens when it’s written into a contract.”
Despite the contract fight, nurses will continue to fight for high-quality and safe patient care in their community.
“Nurses are disappointed by hospital leaders,” said Lisa Groebner, RN and member of the Negotiating Team. “We are disappointed they are choosing not to prioritize nurses—because when nurses aren’t prioritized, patients aren’t either. Nurses are committed to this community. Now hospital leaders must show the same commitment to this community by taking nurses’ concerns seriously.”
Today’s informational picket was not a work stoppage; no nurses walked off the job to participate, and hospital operations continued as normal. As negotiations continue, nurses will continue to push hospital leaders to respect them and deliver a fair first contract.
