Miller Hill Surgery Center Bargaining

Updates

Essentia Health recognizes the MNA as the union representing nurses at the Miller Hill Surgery Center. Essentia Health is committed to working through the usual process of bargaining in good faith to come to a mutually agreeable contract. Bargaining on a new first contract began on Nov. 11, 2024.

Upcoming negotiations scheduled

  • Aug. 27, 2025
  • Sept. 10-11, 2025

Aug. 8 Update

First contract bargaining progress 

Negotiations between Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) continued this week, marking the 12th and 13th days of bargaining to reach a first contract for nurses at our Miller Hill Surgery Center.

On Wednesday, the parties engaged in three joint sessions, followed by two more on Thursday. These meetings facilitated the exchange of both package and stand-alone proposals, leading to productive discussions on key topics. We reached 13 additional tentative agreements this week:

    1. Management rights
    2. No strikes or lockouts
    3. Union security
    4. Health and safety
    5. Workplace violence
    6. Drug and alcohol testing
    7. Pandemic/endemic/disaster planning and preparation
    8. Educational development
    9. Seniority
    10. Confirmation of employment
    11. Precepting and orientation
    12. Posting of positions
    13. Union participation

We had good discussions on many other topics as well, including hours and scheduling, and temporary reductions of hours as well as an exchange of proposals over benefits, including paid time off, insurance and retirement.

We have three more meetings scheduled as we work toward a first contract for our Essentia nurses:

    • Aug. 27
    • Sept. 10-11

We look forward to building on the progress reached at the table so far and adding to our list of 28 total tentative agreements to ensure a fair and comprehensive contract.

 

Aug. 1 Update

First contract bargaining progress 

Negotiations between Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) continued July 31. While no tentative agreements were reached, Essentia responded to several of the MNA’s previous proposals. The MNA also submitted two new package proposals, keeping our discussions moving forward.

During the first session, Essentia presented two package proposals: one combining work at other locations with confirmation of employment, and another on management rights, no strike/no lockout and union security. We also shared a counterproposal on scheduling. This session included a lot of discussion over confirmation of employment.

In an early afternoon session, Essentia provided another package proposal covering PTO, holidays, insurance and retirement. Significant discussion centered around the morning’s proposal on work at other locations.

During the final session, Essentia offered a package on definitions and layoff/permanent reduction of hours. The MNA also provided two package proposals:

    • In the first package proposal, both parties agree on the language for management rights, no strike/no lockout and union security. Essentia has a slight change in the confirmation of employment part of the first package. If both parties can resolve this issue, we will have four new tentative agreements.
    • The second proposal from the union packaged health and safety, pandemic planning and preparation and uniforms. Essentia committed to reviewing these proposals for next week’s sessions.

Looking ahead, we have two negotiation days scheduled for Aug. 6-7 and have proposed additional dates for Aug. 27 and Sept. 10-11.

 

July 28 Update

First contract bargaining progress 

Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) held a productive bargaining session on Friday, facilitated by a mediator.

During our initial meeting, the MNA had nurses share their reasons for seeking representation. After a break, we met in the afternoon for a 15-minute session, where we presented three stand-alone proposals – Labor Management Committee, non-discrimination and personnel file – and a package proposal covering management rights, no-strike/no-lockouts and union security. The union offered a similar package that also included confirmation of employment and wages.

Our final meeting at 3:15 p.m. lasted 45 minutes, resulting in three new tentative agreements on:

    1. Labor Management Committee
    2. Non-discrimination
    3. Personnel file

We exchanged further proposals, addressed union concerns and concluded the day’s negotiations at 4 p.m. Essentia will respond to the union’s proposals in our next session on July 31. We have additional meetings scheduled for Aug. 6-7.

 

July 22 Update on MNA strike

The Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) has announced it is withdrawing its strike notice involving nurses who care for patients at our downtown Duluth clinics, Superior Clinic and Miller Hill Surgery Center, along with nurses and staff at Solvay Hospice House.

We are pleased to welcome back all our nurses and staff returning to resume care for their patients and communities. Essentia leaders will be in touch with nurses and staff to safely coordinate the process of returning to work.

The withdrawal of the strike notice is a result of an agreement brokered by a federal mediator who is assisting us with bargaining. First contracts take an average of 18 months to negotiate in health care. We have been bargaining first contracts for the nurses and staff who were out on strike for a year or less, depending on the group.

We have been meeting with the MNA throughout July and still have several scheduled negotiation sessions before the end of the month. We also now have dates scheduled for August. We look forward to reaching a first contract at the Miller Hill Surgery Center.

June 18 Update

Bargaining update

On May 30, 2024, nurses at Essentia Health Surgery Center-Miller Hill voted to be represented by the MNA for purposes of collective bargaining. Approximately five months later, the MNA requested to meet with Essentia to bargain a first contract. Essentia agreed and the parties met for the first time on Nov. 11, 2024.

Since then, Essentia has met with the MNA on eight additional days:

    • Jan. 15, 2025
    • Feb. 5, 2025
    • March 18-19, 2025
    • April 25, 2025
    • April 29, 2025
    • May 9, 2025
    • June 3, 2025

Over those days, we have reached seven tentative agreements over a variety of topics:

    1. Separability and Savings
    2. Voluntary Termination
    3. Preamble
    4. Breakage and Loss
    5. Identification
    6. Employer Committees
    7. Probationary Period

We continue bargaining over 30-plus other topics including wages and benefits. In the meantime, we continue to maintain the status quo. With negotiations ongoing, we also offered to provide nurses at the ambulatory surgery center annual wage increases averaging 3.5% this past April, an offer which was rejected by the MNA.

As we shared during the election campaign when nurses were considering representation by the MNA, first contracts in health care take an average of 18 months to complete from the beginning of negotiations. We are now approximately seven months into negotiations. We will continue negotiating with the MNA in good faith as we tackle the outstanding issues.

We had June 25 scheduled for our next session; however, the MNA requested to use that date to continue negotiations with our acute care nurses in the Twin Ports. We have asked the MNA to provide days that it is available to continue negotiations.

We are grateful for our nurses’ dedication to providing high-quality care to our community.