January 15, 2016
(St. Paul) – January 15, 2016 – Twin Cities nurses represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association agreed to terms of a new three-year contract with five of the six hospital systems. Nurses will vote to ratify the tentative agreement on Tuesday, January 19, 2016. The MNA negotiations team is recommending nurses ratify the agreement.
The new contract begins June 1, 2016 and covers 6,000 nurses at Fairview Southdale and Riverside facilities, Children’s Minneapolis and St. Paul hospitals, Methodist, North Memorial Medical Center, and HealthEast’s Bethesda, St. Joeseph’s, and St. John’s hospitals. Current benefits, including health coverage and pensions, would carry over to the new contract.
The employers approached representatives of the Minnesota Nurses Association in November and proposed wage-only bargaining for the new contract. MNA members voted overwhelmingly to authorize wage-only negotiations. Nurses and hospital negotiators agreed to terms during a one-day session on January 14.
Allina hospital management refused to engage in wage-only negotiations. Talks over the contract that affects those 6,000 nurses will happen at a later date.