Essentia Health and Minnesota Nurses Association Hold Third Bargaining Session for Essentia Health-Virginia

02/19/20

Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association continued bargaining today for a new labor agreement covering nurses at Essentia Health–Virginia.

The parties engaged in additional discussions around non-economic issues, including workplace safety. Essentia Health and the MNA reached a tentative agreement regarding the grievance procedure. Essentia Health also brought an economic proposal to the table for the union’s consideration.

In an effort to move negotiations forward, the parties agreed to have a federal mediator at the table during the next bargaining session, scheduled for Monday, March 23.

Essentia Health and Minnesota Nurses Association Hold Second Bargaining Session for Essentia Health-Virginia

02/10/20

Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association continued bargaining today for a new labor agreement covering nurses at Essentia Health–Virginia.

Essentia Health provided clarifying language on a number of proposals where the MNA requested clarification, as well as responses to several other union proposals. Given the significance of the workplace safety issue, the Hospital was surprised that the union did not offer a response to Essentia Health’s counter proposal on that topic.

The next bargaining date is scheduled for Wednesday, February 19.

Essentia Health and Minnesota Nurses Association Open Bargaining for Essentia Health-Virginia

12/04/19

Essentia Health and the MNA began collective bargaining for a new Virginia contract. The parties exchanged initial proposals, followed by a short bargaining session. The next scheduled bargaining date is December 30, and we look forward to productive meetings ahead.

Essentia Health and MNA to Open Virginia Negotiations

11/20/19

Essentia Health and the Minnesota Nurses Association have agreed to begin collective bargaining December 4 for a new Virginia contract. The agreement will cover our more than 150 MNA-represented nurses at Essentia Health—Virginia. We have a long history of reaching mutually acceptable agreements with the MNA, and we look forward to productive discussions at the bargaining table.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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

The current Virginia agreement covers more than 150 nurses at Essentia Health–Virgina.

Essentia Health began bargaining with the MNA in Virginia on Wednesday, December 4. Essentia Health has a history of reaching successful agreements with the MNA across our system, and we are focused on reaching a similar outcome in Virginia this year.

Our MNA agreement in Virginia is expired. Bargaining for a new labor agreement began December 4.

We are privileged to have some of the best nurses in the country, and we are committed to reaching a mutually agreeable settlement that supports our Mission of being called to make a healthy difference in people’s lives. We are committed to providing a safe work environment, keeping Essentia nursing jobs among the best in the communities we are privileged to serve, and supporting excellence in patient care.

We also remain committed to providing seamless, high-quality care to our patients and their families while we work through the bargaining process.

Essentia Health is committed to working through a range of issues of interest to both parties in Virginia in a deliberate way through the usual process of bargaining in good faith.

Yes, we will continue to provide appropriate updates on the process in Virginia.

That includes posting more FAQs and providing updates after each bargaining session to help ensure that our nurses and others stay informed.

Still Have a Question?

If you haven’t found your answer here, you may email us at bargaining@essentiahealth.org. We will do our best to review all additional questions. However, the questions and answers here are a representative sample and will not include every question asked.