FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Shannon Cunningham
(c) 651-269-1418
shannon.cunningham@mnnurses.org
(St. Paul, MN) – May 22 – More than 15,000 nurses in Minnesota today announced their intent to hold an informational picket at hospitals across the state on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, to demand urgent action to address the crisis of understaffing, unsafe conditions, and executive-driven decision-making that puts profits before patient care. The Minnesota Nurses Association is sending notices of the planned picket to hospitals this Friday, May 23, in accordance with legal requirements. This is ahead of contract expirations on May 31 for Twin Cities nurses and June 30 for nurses in Duluth.
“Nurses are doing everything they can to keep patients safe, but we are being stretched beyond our limits,” said Chris Rubesch, RN, President of the Minnesota Nurses Association. “Patients are facing longer waits, and overworked staff are facing dangerous conditions. Nurses are taking action because our healthcare system cannot afford more delays or excuses. Shoestring COVID-era staffing levels cannot continue to be the norm. It’s time to put patients before profits.”
Minnesota nurses continue to advocate in contract negotiations for safe staffing, safe workloads and for corporate executives to reorder priorities and place care before revenue, and they have provided common sense, money saving solutions that will do so. However, despite dozens of bargaining sessions across the metro and Duluth, a lack of response from hospital management is driving nurses to picket outside of bargaining hospitals.
As they push for change, nurses are calling for safer staffing levels that ensure quality care which reduces healthcare costs, saves more patient lives, decreases workplace injuries and increases experienced nurse retention.
The June 4 informational picket is not a strike or work stoppage. All nurses participating will do so outside of working hours, and hospital operations will not be interrupted. Minnesota nurses take patient care so seriously that union members ranked safe staffing above pay to address in negotiations this year. Notices will be sent to the following hospital systems: Allina, Children’s Minnesota, HealthPartners, M Health Fairview, North Memorial, Essentia and St. Luke’s.
Nurses are calling on the public to join them in demanding better care for Minnesota patients and fair treatment for healthcare workers.
Additional details on picket locations and media availability will be shared in the coming days.