Twin Ports Bargaining

Updates

April 24 Update

Update on third negotiation session

Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) completed their third negotiation session today toward a new contract for Essentia’s Twin Ports acute care nurses. The parties met for about two and a half hours over the course of four meetings throughout the day.  

Today’s discussions were composed solely of questions posed by the MNA and answers provided by Essentia. We answered MNA questions from last week’s session, addressed new questions about additional aspects of our original proposal, and responded to follow-up questions. Though many of the follow-up questions asked by the MNA were unrelated to the proposals made by Essentia, we answered in full and later requested the MNA focus its questions on our proposals. One Essentia proposal that we discussed would allow cross-facility floating, language several other bargaining units have agreed to over the last 18 months. We highlighted the advantages for patients and our colleagues when nurses have the opportunity to work at other Essentia sites not covered by their bargaining agreement. We discussed the practice being completely voluntary and how nurses would be paid. 

Even though this was our third full day meeting with the MNA, the MNA has not provided Essentia with its full proposal. Essentia is still waiting for the MNA’s economic proposal. The MNA did not provide a counterproposal today either, saying they are still evaluating our initial proposal that we provided during our first session on April 11. We emphasized we have some distance to go to reach agreement by June 30, and that is best achieved by exchanging proposals to move the process forward. 

Our next meeting is scheduled for April 30. We have responded to all MNA proposals with the exception of a proposal covering temporary staffing adjustments during low-need days. We both agree that Duluth and Superior hospitals should be handled similarly, and we will provide the MNA with a full counterproposal next week. As noted above, we await the MNA’s economic proposal and a response to our initial proposal.  

Though we offered the MNA 54 days to meet in April, May and June in an effort to reach an agreement prior to the expiration of our collective bargaining agreement, the MNA only agreed to schedule eight days. With today’s session, we have five more days scheduled before the June 30 expiration: 

• • April 30 
  • May 6, 14, 22 
  • June 12 

 

April 15 Update

Update on second negotiation session

Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) met for the second time on Tuesday, April 15, at the Duluth Labor Temple. There are six more scheduled negotiation dates that have been accepted by the MNA. They are:

• • April 24 and 30
  • May 6, 14 and 22
  • June 12

Today’s session was initially scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. However, the MNA needed more time to prepare, and our first joint session occurred at 11:15. It started with Essentia providing a full response to the union’s first proposal, which was presented on Friday, April 11. After our response, we received questions from the union regarding our initial proposals that were offered on April 11.

Essentia’s bargaining team responded to these questions and provided a revision to our proposal on hours and scheduling. We agreed to an MNA proposal that revises non-discrimination language, and we highlighted labor management committee (LMC) language from other MNA contracts to give context for the changes we are seeking to make to the LMC language in this contract.

We answered follow-up questions from the MNA regarding orientation, professional nursing, our LMC proposal and other topics. Our focus is on commonsense solutions that will help reduce administrative burden and focuses our time on our nurses and patients. Bringing the Twin Ports LMC structure into closer alignment with other bargaining units will move us toward those goals.

Essentia and the union share common ground on handling temporary staffing and low-need days uniformly across our Twin Ports hospitals.

Essentia continues to focus on patient care and ensuring our nurses have a valuable voice in the work they do. We answered many of the questions posed by the MNA and explained our continued focus on being agile, getting information to and from front-line nurses and addressing issues in real-time.

April 11 Update

Update on first negotiation session

Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) held their first of eight scheduled contract negotiations on Friday, April 11, 2025, at Essentia. The remaining meeting dates accepted by the MNA are:

• • April 15, 24 and 30
  • May 6, 14 and 22
  • June 12

Today, the parties exchanged their initial proposals.

Essentia’s bargaining team presented non-economic proposals to update a range of contract provisions, including hours and scheduling, cross-facility floating, and committee participation. The goal is to simplify and streamline the 122-page contract, bringing it into closer alignment with other labor contracts and enhancing our ability to focus on patient needs.

The MNA also presented proposals for consideration and provided a high-level overview of those proposals. The Essentia bargaining team asked some initial clarifying questions and continues to evaluate the MNA’s extensive set of proposals. While there appears to be some common ground between the parties, many more differences exist.

This is the first day of negotiations, and we expect, as is usual with bargaining, that proposals will change considerably throughout negotiations. Essentia’s focus as we move forward will be on achieving a contract that puts patients and each nurse’s voice first while continuing to provide a competitive wage and benefit package to our dedicated nurses.

April 9 Update

Elevating the voice of our nurses

We recognize the critical role nurses play in championing ideas on ways we can enhance the care we provide for our patients and communities. We value our nurses’ insights and perspectives, and our practices show this.

• • Nurse Councils and Professional Governance: Our councils enable nurses to engage in shared decision-making through our professional governance structure. This allows nurses to influence practice changes, enhance care quality and safety, and improve patient outcomes through the promotion and use of evidence-based practices.
  • We also have many other formal and informal ways we listen and work together to drive change within our teams, organization and the nursing practice. Some examples include our regular employee pulse surveys, leader rounding and one-on-one conversations.

We’re excited to continue our journey toward American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet designation at Essentia Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center and Essentia Health-Duluth and our ANCC Pathway to Excellence designation at St. Mary’s Hospital-Superior. These journeys focus on raising the nursing voice and encourage collaboration to drive changes in the organization, leading to better patient outcomes.

We hope you take a moment to look at the fact sheet to the right to learn more about this topic.

April 8 Update

Negotiation schedule update

Negotiations between Essentia Health and the MNA are currently set to begin April 11. Given the importance of these negotiations, we want to provide timely, accurate and transparent information throughout the process. We will continue to post updates on this website regularly, providing a quick, convenient place to receive information on bargaining as it progresses.

Our goal is to reach an agreement for a new contract on or before the current contract expires on June 30. With that in mind, we offered the union 54 days to meet in April, May and June. We also asked the MNA to agree to meet on consecutive days, in successive weeks, well in advance of June 30 to give the parties the best opportunity to reach a timely settlement. The following are the days the MNA has agreed to meet:

• • Friday, April 11
  • Tuesday, April 15
  • Thursday, April 24
  • Wednesday, April 30
  • Tuesday, May 6
  • Wednesday, May 14
  • Thursday, May 22
  • Thursday, June 12

We continue to ask for additional days as well as back-to-back days to ensure productive meetings. If the MNA agrees to additional days, we will update the website.

Thank you to all our Essentia nurses for the excellent care you provide and for focusing on our patients while the negotiating teams work on making progress at the bargaining table. We will strive to achieve a contract that recognizes your contributions and supports the high-quality, compassionate care Essentia nurses are known for.

April 2 Update

The importance of responsive staffing

We wish to take a moment to highlight how we work together to best meet patients’ needs through our staffing practices in our Twin Ports hospitals. We strive to provide timely access to care, relying on thoughtful planning and continuous evaluation of patient needs.

Staff schedules are based on past- and present-day patient and facility data, which helps us plan in advance for high-quality care. Throughout each day and each shift, we re-evaluate staffing at least every four hours and more frequently as needed. We have additional resources, such as float pools, sitters and “SWOT” nurses, to support our patients and our teams.

Responsive staffing is essential for many reasons:

• • It enhances our patients’ experience so they feel safe and cared for.
  • It impacts team satisfaction; a balanced workload allows team members to perform meaningful work without feeling overwhelmed or underutilized.
  • Ensuring we have the right staff, in the right place, at the right time enhances the quality of the care we provide, ensuring patient needs are met.
  • Lastly, responsive staffing allows us to practice good stewardship, which aligns with our Essentia Health values, and helps us put our people resources where they are needed most.

Doing this complex work successfully requires excellent communication, trust and respect among team members. To learn more about the importance of responsive staffing, please review this fact sheet. Thank you for your commitment to our patients and one another.

Mar. 26 Update

Supporting our communities

Essentia Health nurses care about the health and well-being of our patients, our colleagues and our communities. Our mission to make a healthy difference in people’s lives extends beyond the walls of our facilities through the support of housing, food access, youth development and more.

As a nonprofit health care organization, Essentia Health is committed to enhancing the health of our communities, as well as investing in our colleagues and our care. Please check out this community benefit fact sheet. You can also learn more by reading Essentia’s full Community Benefit Report and the Minnesota Hospital Association Community Impact Report.

By focusing on the support of healthy behaviors and the social determinants of health, we can help to improve our patients’ quality of life. We appreciate all our nurses do to support our mission in this way.

 

Mar. 19 Update

Keeping nurses at the bedside with AI
As health care continues to evolve, the opportunity to responsibly integrate new forms of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into our work offers numerous benefits that can help us deliver the best care possible to our patients and enhance care team member satisfaction.

Some benefits include:

• More time with patients; less time in the electronic medical record documenting and finding information.
• Improved patient monitoring/early warning sign identification, allowing for timely diagnosis and treatment for improved patient outcomes.
• Data-driven insights and decision support.

It’s no secret that nurses have a very special relationship with patients that can’t be replaced. Finding new ways to use AI can enhance these relationships and give nurses more time at the bedside.

To learn more about AI applications in health care and at Essentia Health, please review this fact sheet. Thank you for your dedication and commitment to excellence in patient care.

 

Mar. 12 Update

A Focus on Safety

At Essentia Health, we take the safety of our colleagues, patients and visitors very seriously. Our organization has developed a robust Workplace Violence Prevention Program to support the safety of our nurses and all our colleagues.

From ongoing training opportunities to enhanced security measures, we are committed to supporting a safe work environment. Please view this fact sheet  about important workplace violence prevention efforts. Thank you for helping to make Essentia Health the best place to provide and receive care.

Mar. 11 Update

Scheduling Update

More than four weeks ago, Essentia Health provided 54 potential bargaining dates in April, May and June to the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) to create a negotiations calendar for the bargaining unit covering Essentia’s Twin Ports acute care nurses. We requested meetings on successive days in successive weeks or, at the very least, every other week, to provide an opportunity for meaningful discussions, which is more productive than bargaining on sporadic single days. We are still waiting for the MNA to commit to days out of the options offered. Click here to see the most recent letter sent to the MNA on this topic.

 

Mar. 5 Update

Enhancing our care models

At Essentia Health, we are always looking for ways to enhance the care we provide our patients. Over the last year, we have negotiated language in some of our collective bargaining agreements that supports a model of care called “cross-facility floating.” This concept has benefits for both our patients and our colleagues. 

This language allows colleagues to work at different Essentia facilities not covered by their collective bargaining agreement when unique circumstances arise, such as unexpected illness or an emergency that affects staffing needs.

What’s important to know

In the nine bargaining units that have approved cross-facility language, the decision to float to another location outside their collective bargaining agreement is completely voluntary. Colleagues decide whether to pick up a shift, or shifts, at another hospital. In addition, staff would only float to a role they are trained and qualified for, as the goal of this model is to provide the highest level of quality care.

Here’s how this works

If the census at a facility is low or a nurse wants an extra shift, they might have the opportunity to work at another facility that needs help. In the same way, if the census at another facility is high or there is a staffing emergency, colleagues from other locations could have the opportunity to support those nurses and their patients.

Cross-facility floating language is part of the MNA contract in Deer River and the tentative agreement recently reached in Sandstone. We continue to encourage this care model as a way to provide opportunities for our nurses and excellent care for our patients.

Feb. 26 Update

Rewarding careers in nursing

At Essentia Health, we strive to ensure our nurses enjoy a supportive work environment and are well compensated for their contributions to our patients and communities. Our success in recruiting and retaining nurses reflects this commitment to providing rewarding jobs that make a healthy difference in people’s lives.

Here are some statistics that help to illustrate the opportunities for Twin Ports acute care nurses at Essentia.

• • Full-time acute care RNs in the Twin Ports with a two-year degree can start their careers earning about $87,000.
  • Most nurses in this bargaining unit – up to 94% – choose to work part-time, with benefits starting at 24 hours per week.
  • On average, a Twin Ports acute care RN working a 0.8 FTE, or 32 hours per week, earns about $100,000 annually.
  • Nurses also benefit from Essentia’s health insurance options, with 77% of nurses choosing coverage. Essentia pays up to $29,000 a year for family coverage.
  • Essentia’s commitment to achieving Magnet recognition means we are focused on professional development for nurses and supporting them in their careers.
  • Nurses choose to remain at Essentia with more than half of the Twin Ports acute care nurses having worked here for more than five years.
  • Our nurse turnover rates and vacancy rates are better than benchmarks from our peers across the nation.

As we prepare for contract negotiations to get underway in April, we want to emphasize our commitment to creating excellent careers for nurses at Essentia. Please see this fact sheet for more information on wages and support for our Twin Ports acute care nurses.

Feb. 21 Update

Negotiation calendar update 

On Monday, Feb. 10, Essentia provided the MNA with 54 alternative dates in April, May and June that it was available to meet. We asked the MNA to work with us to schedule successive dates over successive weeks or alternate weeks so that we could create a negotiation schedule that is conducive to reaching an agreement that leads to a new three-year contract. Sporadic single days separated by weeks, which is what the MNA made available in 2022, just doesn’t work.

On Thursday, Feb. 20, one day after our initial negotiation communication to you, the MNA sent Essentia a one-sentence email ostensibly offering to meet on March 18 to begin negotiations. This single day was not one of the 54 days Essentia offered. Moreover, it was a date that Essentia and its lead negotiator had already committed to MNA to meet to bargain another Essentia contract.

We have asked the MNA to again review the 54 days we provided on Feb. 10. To help them, we provided the MNA the dates its committee members from Essentia have requested off, either for union business, vacation or other reasons in April, May and June. We hope with this help, the MNA will now work with Essentia to finalize a negotiation calendar that secures successive days over successive weeks (or every other week).When we get a response from the MNA we will let you know.

Feb. 19 Update

2025 negotiations with MNA

The collective bargaining agreement between Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association (MNA) covering about 1,475 acute care nurses in the Twin Ports area expires June 30, 2025. We expect negotiations will likely begin in April. Our goal is to reach an agreement on a new contract by the time the current one expires.

We want to ensure bargaining unit members are kept informed with the most current and accurate information about negotiations and that no one is misled. In negotiations three years ago, there were misrepresentations made directly to our employees as well as through the media. We cannot stop others from spreading misleading information, but we can and will address it when it occurs.

We have established this website to share information with you before and during negotiations. Please check back regularly for information. We will keep you informed of the dates and times of meetings that have been agreed upon as negotiations proceed.

Time at the bargaining table

We are committed to devoting the necessary time and space to negotiate and will do our part to secure both. On Monday, Feb. 10, we provided the MNA with 54 business days of availability to meet throughout April, May and June. We have asked the MNA for as many consecutive day meetings as possible. We can assure everyone that negotiations will not be delayed due to our lack of willingness to meet or lack of availability.

Meeting on consecutive days, in successive weeks, well in advance of June 30 gives the parties the best opportunity to reach a timely settlement. In 2022, MNA only agreed to meet on single days dragging out negotiations unnecessarily. Delaying meetings to the last minute or only meeting sporadically on single

days does not provide the time required for the parties to have a good dialogue over the issues raised/proposals made by both parties.

We will share the response we receive from the MNA and what dates we can get the MNA to commit to meet and bargain. We will also share other information in the lead up to negotiations to help our nursing colleagues stay well-informed throughout negotiations.

Our nurses’ voices

We understand that the MNA has already distributed a survey to those being represented over what issues matter to the bargaining membership most. The MNA does this to finalize their proposals (requests), and they ask their membership to commit to preparing for a possible strike. We believe we have heard and understood our nurses’ wants and needs through our various communication channels. We have been listening to our nurses over the last three years through our Nurse Practice Councils, Staff Nurse Advisory Communications, shift huddles, Nursing Reels on the Nursing Hub, the ADO process, as well as through the opinions and concerns nurses have raised directly to nurse leaders, charge nurses and in our employee pulse surveys. We will do our best to take any issues raised through these channels into consideration as we prepare our contract proposals.

We are always open to learning more from our nurses and urge nurses to talk with their leaders regarding personal issues or concerns.

Working together

In the past, nurses have shared that the MNA has told them not to attend meetings with leaders during negotiations or to ask questions. If a nurse is told this by the MNA, an MNA representative or even one of our colleagues, we hope that nurse chooses to ignore them and seek answers to questions from us directly. It makes no sense to tell union members not to share feelings or concerns with Essentia, not to ask questions or not to attend meetings. After all, it is only through open dialogue that we can truly work together as a cohesive team.

Last year, Essentia was able to achieve ratified agreements with 27 separate bargaining units. The parties to these agreements achieved this by setting aside differences and looking for common ground focused on mutually shared interests:

• • Delivering high-quality health care to our patients in a sustainable way
  • Ensuring our colleagues have a safe and healthy workplace
  • Providing a competitive wage and benefit package.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Below is a representative sample of frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the bargaining process and what it means for MNA and Essentia Health.