Advanced Practice Providers from Essentia Health Facilities to Go on Strike

More than 400 advanced practice providers from 69 Essentia Health facilities are set to go on strike on July 10th.

They’re represented by the Minnesota Nurses Association, which says Essentia has refused to recognize the providers’ union for nearly a year and instead has responded with what MNA leaders call unlawful retaliation, intimidation, and sweeping changes to assignments.

The Minnesota Nurses Association has scheduled a press conference on Thursday, the first day of the strike, on the Iron Range in Virginia. The organization says this Unfair Labor Practices strike is not about politics or economics, but rather about following labor law and the right to fairly bargain.

Essentia Health says because of the strike, services are expected to be temporarily suspended at Essentia clinics in Deerwood, Emily, and Hackensack. All pharmacy services, including at the Deerwood clinic, are expected to continue.

Essentia says it has also started contacting impacted patients with updates about appointment scheduling.