Strike at Essentia Health-Deer River Enters 1-Month Mark

Healthcare workers at Essentia Health-Deer River have been on the picket lines for a month now as part of an open-ended Unfair Labor Practices strike.

The work stoppage involves around 70 workers from the hospital and nursing home who are part of the Service Employees International Union, which previously went on a five-day strike in November. On Wednesday, the union released a statement that said company leaders remain unwilling to reach a fair deal to end the impasse.

The union held another vote on Tuesday that saw 90% of workers reject Essentia’s current offer that they say would result in raises of only eight cents for many workers, keeping their pay well below comparable healthcare jobs in Minnesota. Union representatives say that while workers have been ready to bargain throughout the strike, Essentia has refused to engage and set bargaining dates with the mediator.

We reached out to Essentia Health for a response, and they said the union’s claim that the latest offer would mean a raise of only eight cents for workers in untrue. In a statement they said that in their last proposal, the average wage increase in the first year is equivalent to 3.5% and that their offers have been market competitive and consistent with more than 20 agreements ratified last year with other union groups at Essentia Health. They also said that the first time the union formally reached out to them with potential bargaining dates was last week and that they did respond by saying they were willing to meet and hear new proposals.

Essentia says they remain committed to achieving a contract with the union that recognizes their important contributions while also ensuring continued access to high-quality health care for their patients in Deer River and the surrounding communities.